


The fate of the Green Arrow

by Stand_with_Ward_and_Queen



Series: The fate of Oliver Queen [2]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Season/Series 04, F/M, Family, Father-Son Relationship, Parent Oliver Queen, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-06-29 20:42:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 69,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15736983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stand_with_Ward_and_Queen/pseuds/Stand_with_Ward_and_Queen
Summary: Sequel to 'The fate of Oliver Queen.' Two months after China White used his son against him, Oliver struggles to connect with William as the city is under siege by a group called The Ghosts. However, the true master mind lurks in the shadows and knows all of Oliver's secrets. Oliver is torn between his duty to Star City and his responsibility as a father as he fights this new foe.





	1. Getting help

**Author's Note:**

> I know I should probably be working on one of my other stories, but this has been nagging at me since last week, so I wanted to at least start this. 
> 
> This is going to be an alternate season four with an Oliver who is closer to his earlier seasons self rather than the pathetic season four version. It will also include some elements from the beginning of season six, but not much, because god that was an awful season, just from what I saw.

Arrow lair  
Night

“No luck then?” Felicity asked as Diggle, Laurel, and Thea walked in.

“Just like every other time we’ve gone up against these Ghosts, they got away,” Thea grumbled.

“They got away with equipment containers this time,” Laurel mentioned.

“Not equipment, weapons,” Felicity said as she brought up the images of Kord Industries. “Which would make sense, considering Kord Industries is one of the leading weapons manufacturing companies in the world.” 

“These Ghosts, if that’s seriously what we’re calling them, are stepping up their attacks, escalating. People are so scared they don’t even wanna leave their homes,” Laurel mentioned.

“Unless it’s to pack up in the middle of the night and get the hell out of town,” Thea added.

“I know all this, why are you bringing it up?” Diggle asked annoyed.

“The same reason we have for the last few weeks,” Laurel snapped.

“I’m not asking Oliver for help. He believes we can handle it. And he’s right,” Diggle snapped before he walked off.

“I cannot believe him,” Laurel said in frustration.

“Oliver did kidnap Lyla and leave his daughter alone,” Felicity pointed out.

“And by doing so, he probably kept both from getting killed,” Thea argued back.

“It’s been five months; Ollie’s been back for two. John has had plenty of time to come to the same conclusion as us, that Oliver was in a difficult position and did what he had to do in order to keep everyone alive and keep his cover so he could stop Ra’s from wiping Star City from the map. Especially after everything that happened with William and China White. This city needs help and we are past the time of petty grudges,” Laurel said in a voice that left no room for arguments.

Oliver’s apartment  
Same time

“How was school?” Oliver asked as he and William ate dinner.

“Fine,” William said blankly, not looking up from his plate.

“Did you make any friends?” Oliver asked and only got a shrug in response. “Did you finish your homework?”

“I’m tired, I’m gonna go to bed,” William said as he got up, leaving his half-finished plate on the table.

“Okay. Goodnight William,” Oliver said dismayed at William’s rebuff of his attempt to bond.

“Goodnight Oliver,” William said and Oliver sighed. 

District Attorney’s office  
Later

“These people needed a strong reminder the city doesn’t bow to terrorists,” The district Attorney was saying to Laurel when she suddenly stopped.

“Susanna?” Laurel asked concerned.

“…thought it tasted funny,” She said before she fell, her glass shattering as Laurel got on her knees, checking her pulse.

“Call nine-one-one,” Laurel barked before pulling out her phone. “John, city leadership is being targeted. Someone just poisoned the district attorney. I’m heading to my father; I need you and Thea on the other two members.”

Star City Police Department  
Shortly after

Quentin was talking to his officers when the doors were suddenly blown off by explosions. Three Ghosts walked in and Quentin and his officers exchanged n a short fire fight before Quentin found himself surrounded.

Starling General Hospital  
Same time

Diggle ran down the hall and saw the head of emergency services on the floor, clinging to life in a pool of his own blood.

Outside City Hall  
Same time

The city controller saw a red dot on his chest and Speedy tackled him out of the way just as a shot went off. They got to the ground and speedy turned him over to see he had been shot and was already dead.

Star City Police Department  
Same time

Black Canary suddenly burst in, whirling her side batons and striking the two Ghosts. The other fired a shot, getting Quentin in the shoulder but Black Canary wacked him in the head with her side baton, knocking him out.

“Are you alright?” She asked in concern.

“Fine, it’s a flesh wound,” Quentin assured her as one of his officers burst in.

“Captain Lance, the District Attorney is dead, and there are reports coming in that the city controller and head of emergency services have also been killed,” She said alarmed.

“That’s pretty much the city’s leadership,” Black Canary said alarmed.

“At this rate, there won’t be a city left to lead,” Quentin said grimly.

Star City, next day  
Morning

“Have a good day at school, okay?” Olivier looked back in the back seat as he pulled up in front of William’s school

William didn’t respond, simply grabbed his Flash backpack and got out of the car. Oliver watched him from the window, his eyes not leaving William until he had walked into the school. As he turned to drive off, his phone went off with a text. Pulling it out, he saw it was from Thea.

‘Meet me at my and Laurel’s place,’ it read. 

Laurel and Thea’s apartment  
Later in the morning

“Thanks for coming,” Laurel said as she and Thea stood up to greet him.

“Well, my days usually consist of waiting for my son to get home from school, so,” Oliver joked before becoming serious. “I assume this has to do with the city’s leadership getting assassinated last night?”

“Always said you were smarter than you showed. We need your help Ollie,” Laurel said and Oliver sighed.

“Does John agree?” 

“Frankly, I don’t give a damn what he thinks right now. This city is falling apart, we all know it. We need The Arrow,” Laurel said.

“The Arrow is dead Laurel. I want to help, believe me, but if I go out there, we’re right back to where we started before Roy faked his death,” Oliver tried to explain.

“Cisco made you a new suit before everything with Ra’s went down,” Laurel supplied and Oliver sighed.

“John…is not going to be happy about this,” Oliver noted.

“The city is falling apart and if he can’t see that we need help, then he gets little say in this,” Thea interjected.

Arrow lair  
Afternoon

Diggle was pacing as Felicity sat at her computer, looking something up when they heard footsteps. Diggle turned, expecting to see Laurel and Thea walk in. They did, but it was the man accompanying them that had his attention.

“Oliver,” Diggle said and Felicity looked up, shocked to see him here.

“John,” Oliver greeted politely, like Diggle was an old friend he hadn’t seen in a while. 

“We should have discussed this,” Diggle said as he looked sourly over at Laurel and Thea.

“We tried, you wouldn’t listen,” Thea argued.

“So we decided to do something,” Laurel added.

“The city is falling apart John,” Oliver pointed out as he walked over to Diggle.

“So what, you think all is forgiven?” Diggle demanded.

“I’m not asking for forgiveness. But this city is my home. More importantly, it’s my son’s home. And I want him to grow up feeling like this is a safe place to live. Let me help you on this John. Because Thea and Laurel wouldn’t have gone behind your back like this if you didn’t need me and you know it,” Oliver said and Diggle was silent.

“It’s worse than that. I was able to find out what The Ghosts stole,” Felicity said and they all looked over at her. “Cluster bombs. Sensor fused and high yield. Any more high end and it will be nuclear.”

“John,” Oliver said and Diggle sighed.

“Fine. What do you suggest?” Diggle grumbled.

“These weapons had to be stolen for a reason. Felicity should probably hack into Kord Industry database so we can find out everything we can about these explosives,” Oliver looked over at Felicity, who was already on it. “It might be helpful if we can get in touch with Captain Lance and find a list of potential suspects. And maybe someone should hit the streets, find out everything we can.”

“I’ve got my dad,” Laurel before she walked off.

“Thea, hit the streets,” Diggle said as he looked over at Thea. “I have lunch with Lyla and Sara. Felicity, tell me if you find anything.”

“Will do,” Felicity said as Diggle walked out after Laurel.

“He’ll come around,” Thea tried to assure her brother and he looked at her skeptically. “Yeah, okay. I’m gonna go hit the streets.”

Thea walked out, leaving Oliver and Felicity alone.

“So,” Oliver said awkwardly.

“Been a while,” Felicity said in the same tone.

“Since we broke up, yeah,” Oliver said.

“Oliver…you said you couldn’t do us because you had to focus on William. What makes you think you can do…this and focus on him?” Felicity asked gently and Oliver ran a hand over his face.

“Felicity, if things are this bad, then, I might not have a choice,” Oliver sighed.


	2. Let the game begin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AS Team arrow works to find out The Ghosts' agenda, a startling revelation is thrown their way. Oliver is advised on two different fronts about how to handle the situation with William.

Arrow lair

Night

 

“Got it!” Felicity cried as a beep went off.

 

“Got what exactly?” Oliver asked as he looked over her shoulder.

 

“I hacked Kord Industries to check out their designs schematics for their bombs. Turns out they have a GPS tracker built in,” Felicity explained.

 

“Can you find out where it is?” Oliver inquired.

 

“I can find out where it’s been GPS is offline now. Last known location was Admiral Transport Interchange. It’s a trucking depot outside Pennytown. Closed up shop months ago,” Felicity told him and Oliver nodded.

 

“I’ll call Thea, you get John and Laurel,” Oliver ordered as he walked off.

 

“This might be a good time to tell you-” Felicity began.

 

“That Cisco made me a new suit. Laurel and Thea already told me. I’m not in this for the long haul, only to help make sure my son has a safe place to grow up in,” Oliver cut her off as he walked out of the room.

 

Pennytown

Later

 

“I heard about places like this,” Spartan said as he, Speedy, Black Canary, and Oliver stood watch over the scene below. “Owners must have left when the city started tanking.”

 

“Well, our new friends seem to have found a use for it,” Oliver said grimly.

 

"Gentlemen, the world's a funny place," A man with grey hair said as he stepped into the team's line of sight. "It fights progress. And so the only way to move forward is to fight back. You men are here tonight because you understand that. But our cause is only as strong as our weakest man. Mr. Alvarez, please step forward."

 

A man took off his mast, revealing a man around Oliver's age with dark hair and blue eyes.

 

"You commanded a high jacking last night, from Kord Industries," The unknown man said.

 

"Yes sir. We encountered some resistance but we handled it," Alvarez said a tiny bit of fear in his voice as the man laughed.

 

"Well I guess your definition of 'handle' is a little different than mine. When I handle a problem, it dies," The man said as he walked passed him.

 

"Sir, we got away with the bombs-"

 

"Shhh. You know, I love this town in the fall. I mean, yes, it looks pretty much the same as it does in the other three seasons but I admire consistency. I respect dependability," the man said as he turned around. "And you've shown me neither. And so, allow me to show you something. It's another kind of beauty; it's the manipulation of primordial energies. The grazing of leavers that god uses to move the world. This."

 

Darhk put a hand on Alvarez's chest and Alvarez seemed to gasp as something happened. Team Arrow watched, horrified, as Alvarez's skin turned grey.

 

"Oh my god." Black Canary breathed.

 

"What the hell is that?" Speedy demanded.

 

“Move!” Oliver barked as he pulled his mask over his head.

 

The team jumped down and The Ghosts moved to intercept them. As Spartan shot them and Black Canary engaged them with her side batons, Oliver engaged them in hand to hand. He punched one out before grabbing another and throwing him to the ground. He turned around and saw his sister violently beating one down. When she pulled out a sword, Oliver knew she wasn’t in her right mind.

 

“Speedy!” Oliver shouted

 

She seemed to snap out of it before alarms started blaring.

 

“SCPD, hands in the air!” An officer said as several of them burst onto the scene.

 

In frustration, Oliver grabbed the Ghost he had flipped and held his own gun to his head.

 

“What are they gonna do with the explosives? Tell me!” Oliver snarled when he wouldn’t answer.

 

“They’re gonna destroy Star City station,” He said weakly.

 

As a fire fight began breaking out between the SCPD and the Ghosts, Oliver let him go and backed away towards Spartan and Black Canary.

 

“We gotta go!” Spartan barked.

 

Speedy shot off an arrow with a line and fled just before Quentin and a few more officers burst in. Quentin saw Oliver and knew who was behind that ski mask. He got a dark look on his face as Oliver, Spartan, and Black Canary fled.

 

Arrow lair

Later

 

“Oh, I know that look. That is not a good look,” Felicity said as the rest of the team walked in.

 

“Wo found out what they’re planning at least. They’re gonna blow up the new train station,” Oliver said as he put down his jacket.

 

“Pretty sure I had that one in the office pool,” Felicity joked and everyone shot her annoyed looks. “Too soon?

 

“Probably planning the attack for tomorrow night, celebrate the reopening of the new rail line,” Diggle noted.

 

“Are we really not gonna talk about what just happened? That dude just killed that guy by touching him!” Thea exclaimed.

 

“Wait, we’re dealing with Metahumans now? Like we didn’t have enough problems?” Felicity asked alarmed.

 

“He wasn’t a Metahuman,” Oliver told her.

 

“Oliver, what that man did was not natural,” Laurel argued.

 

“I know. It was mystical,” Oliver told her quietly.

 

“How can you be so sure?” Diggle asked suspiciously.

 

“Because I’ve seen things. Things that can’t be explained, even by science,” Oliver said wearily.

 

“I suppose you aren’t gonna tell us about these things you’ve seen Oliver,” Diggle said resentfully and Oliver’s patience ran thin.

 

“Do you feel like sharing the intimate details of your time in Afghanistan John?” Oliver snapped and Diggle was quiet. “I didn’t think so. We need to focus on finding the cluster bombs. Did you activate the GPS?”

 

“Eventually I can, but I’m pretty sure the train’s gonna be blown up by then,” Felicity said.

 

“Fine, then we do this the old fashion way. Tomorrow. Tonight, we should head home. We’ll need a good night’s rest for tomorrow,” Diggle ordered.

 

Oliver’s apartment

Later

 

“Thank you for watching him tonight,” Oliver said and Raisa smiled.

 

“It was my pleasure Mr. Oliver,” Raisa said and Oliver smiled.

 

“Just Oliver, I’m not your boss anymore,” Oliver pointed out.

 

“You will always be that little boy with a good heart to me,” Raisa told him warmly.

 

“Have a good night Raisa,” Oliver said and she smiled.

 

“You as well Mr. Oliver. And, if you need me more often, just call,” Raisa said.

 

Oliver smiled with a nod as she walked out. As she closed the door behind her, Oliver heard a shout from William’s room. This was nothing new; William had been having nightmares since he had come to live with Oliver. All Oliver had managed to get out of him was that it was of the bad man who was responsible for Samantha’s death. Oliver opened the door to William’s room, seeing his son sitting up in bed, his knees drawn up to his chest.

 

“Hey buddy,” Oliver said as he walked in. “Nightmares?”

 

“The bad man was in my dream,” William said, his voice slightly rough.

 

“I know,” Oliver said sympathetically as he knelt down in front of William. “But he can’t hurt you anymore. He’s gone.”

 

“No he’s not,” William said with a shake of his head. “The bad man is here.”

 

“Buddy, I’m confused. Where do you think the bad man is,” Oliver said perplexed.

 

William pointed a shaking finger at Oliver. As he turned from Oliver, Oliver understood with a feeling of dismay. The man William blamed for Samantha’s death wasn’t Deadshot. It was him, William blamed him. He was the bad man who haunted his son’s dreams.

 

Starling Train station, next day

Morning

 

“You okay?” Thea asked as she and Oliver scanned the station for the bombs.

 

“No,” Oliver said honestly.

 

“You wanna talk about it?” Thea asked and Oliver smiled slightly.

 

“Maybe later. Right now, I’d like to talk about you,” Oliver said and Thea raised an eyebrow. “You seemed a little out of control last night.”

 

“This coming from the person who used to use criminals as target practice?” Thea said sarcastically.

 

“Thea, you were ready to kill that guy. For no reason other than the sake of it. Reminded me of someone else I knew. It is restraint that separates us from them. We lose restraint, we become something far darker. You want an example of that, look at Helena Bertinelli,” Oliver said and Thea scowled.

 

“I am not The Huntress, I’ve just become a better fighter,” Thea justified.

 

“A better fighter knows the meaning of restraint, knows when not to fight.  Two things you seem to lack Speedy,” Oliver said and Thea rolled her eyes.

 

“Wow, you’re back in the game twenty four hours and you’re already lecturing me. I owe Laurel twenty bucks,” Thea said before walking off.

 

Oliver let her go with a sigh, knowing talking to her on the subject wouldn’t do any good right now. She wouldn’t listen. Seeing Diggle, Oliver walked over to him.

 

“Any luck?” Oliver inquired.

 

“No,” Diggle said and Oliver glanced back to where Thea had left him.

 

“Does Thea seem a little off to you?” Oliver inquired.

 

“No, maybe a little too aggressive. I seem to remember you were the same way at first,” Diggle pointed out as they began walking off.

 

“I knew the meaning of restraint,” Oliver argued and Diggle sighed.

 

“Oliver, man, what are we doing? Pretending that everything’s normal, that we’re normal?” Diggle asked as he turned around to face Oliver.

 

“I’m looking for a way in John,” Oliver told him.

 

“I was furious at you for trusting Malcolm Merlyn more than you trusted me. But then I realized I’m not angry at you, I’m angry at myself for thinking you’re someone you clearly aren’t,” Diggle said and Oliver raised an eyebrow.

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“Oliver, after everything we’ve been through man, I couldn’t fathom why you didn’t trust me, but then I realized you couldn’t. It’s not who you are. You don’t love. You don’t trust. You were able to fool Ra’s and join the League because inside, you are every bit as dark as they are,” Diggle told the incredulous Oliver.

 

Diggle turned to leave but Oliver grabbed his arm in a vice like grip.

 

“If you honestly believe that,” Olive said angrily as Diggle looked over his shoulder. “Then you never knew me at all. And clearly, you are not the man I thought you were. So obviously, we’ve both fooled ourselves into believing the other is a false image of who we really are.”

 

Oliver let Diggle go and Diggle stared at him, an unreadable look on his face before he turned and walked off.

 

“Prodigal Arrow returns,” A familiar voice spoke up and Oliver, in no mood, sighed before he turned around to face the angry Quentin Lance.

 

“Captain,” Oliver greeted politely.

 

“I thought that was you last night in the mask over your head. Felt like old times,” Quentin sneered.

 

“Just trying to make this a safe place for my son to grow up,” Oliver said evenly and Quentin scoffed.

 

“If that were true, you wouldn’t have come back. This city started going to crap the moment you came back. You brought madness into all our lives and the monster you were inspired other monsters,” Quintin snarled.

 

“Des that include you Captain? “Oliver demanded.

 

“Excuse me?” Quentin asked taken back.

 

“We both know what happened to Roy happened on your watch,” Oliver snarled.

 

“What happened to Harper, happened because of you,” Quentin said and Oliver scoffed.

 

“Yes, I arrested Roy, didn’t put in him in protective custody, and he died. Oh no wait, that was you,” Oliver said and Quentin gulped, knowing that was true. “I know what I am; I know what I’ve done. You blame me for Sara’s death. Maybe you’re right but you know what? At least I’m not using someone else’s sins to justify mine. The only reason I didn’t put an arrow in you was because you’re Laurel and Sara’s father.”

 

Oliver then turned and walked off, passing Laurel on the way out. She looked over at her father before looking at Oliver’s retreating form.

 

Arrow lair

Afternoon

 

Oliver was working out his frustrations on a punching back as Laurel walked up to him.

 

“Hey,” Laurel said and Oliver stopped.

 

“Hey. I take it you saw my conversation with your father?” Oliver asked as he turned around to face her.

 

“Yeah. You know that Roy is alive,” Laurel said.

 

“Only because he, John, and Felicity had a plan. Your father was more than willing to let Roy get pummeled in order to try and force me to congress in his pursuit of revenge. But, that wasn’t all about him back there,” Oliver admitted and Laurel looked concerned.

 

“Is this about Jon?” Laurel asked and Oliver shook his head.

 

“No, William,” Oliver admitted.

 

“He’s still having nightmares? Thea told me,” She explained at Oliver’s look of surprise.

 

“He blames me for Samantha’s death,” Oliver said to her surprise.

 

“Why would he do that?” Laurel asked and Oliver let out a humorless laugh.

 

“Because he’s smart. He knows what happened to Samantha happened because of my actions. I don’t know how to reach him Laurel,” Oliver sighed.

 

“It’s only been two months Ollie. You’ll find a way,” Laurel assured him but Oliver shook his head.

 

“It’s not getting any better Laurel. He shouldn’t be with me, he should be with Samantha’s parents,” Oliver said in dismay.

 

“Well clearly Samantha didn’t think that. Because she saw what I’ve always known about you. That underneath all the party boy façade and selfishness, you are a good man Oliver Queen,” Laurel said and Oliver looked at her in disbelief.

 

“How can you honestly think that about me after everything I’ve put you through? After everything I’ve done?” Oliver asked incredulously.

 

“We’ve all done terrible things. Things that there should be no coming back from. But I believe there is a light inside all of us, that people are not inheritably bad. That they are good. They become bad because they choose to be bad. But you Ollie, you have chosen to be good at every turn. That is what I believe,” Laurel said confidently.

 

Oliver opened and closed his mouth several times but no sound came out. Laurel got a text and pulled out her phone.

 

“Come on, the others want to see us,” Laurel said before she turned and walked off, Oliver trailing behind her after a moment.

 

“The train station was a bust,” Thea said as they reached Felicity at her computer.

 

“No incendiaries on the platform, on the tracks, or the inside of the trains,” Diggle explained.

 

“How can they expect to blow the station up if there are no bombs inside the station?” Laurel asked and Oliver was taken to another time and place.

 

_Lian Yu, over eight years ago_

_Day_

_“It’s a commercial airliner Fyers, it’s not like it can land here,” Oliver told Fyers as he, Slade, and Shado were held hostage._

_“It won’t be landing anywhere Mr. Queen. I’m going to destroy it,” Fyers told the stunned castaway._

Now

 

“It’s not on the trains or in the station because the bomb is being brought in on a train,” Oliver said and they all looked over at him. “Felicity, when is the reopening ceremony stabled for?”

 

“9:58, to coincide with the arrival of the first high speed train from Central City,” Felicity said after looking it up.

 

“Suit up,” Diggle ordered as he and Thea walked off.

 

“You need to suit up to,” Laurel told Oliver.

 

She dragged him off into the corner where a glass case was covered by a sheet. She pulled to off to reveal a bright green suit eerily similar to the one he had worn as The Arrow.

 

Star City

Night

 

Oliver, in his new suit, stood on the top of a car as Spartan drove alongside the train.

 

“Get me closer!” Oliver ordered.

 

“Trying!” Spartan barked.

 

At the train station, the ceremony began before a red arrow hit the ground, smoke coming out of it.

 

“Get out of here! It’s not safe!” Speedy shouted from above and the people began to flee as the SCPD burst in to escort everyone out safely.

 

Back with the train, a Ghost heard something loud band on the roof of train. He walked over to the door and opened it only for Oliver to grab him and throw him out. He jumped in and began making his way through the train. He found the unknown man from last night at Pennytown talking on a radio.

 

“Mr. Slater,” the man called into the radio.

 

“Sorry,” Oliver said as in a disguised voice as the man whirled around. “Guess he got off at an earlier stop.”

 

“You’re not The Arrow, he died. So who are you?” The man said with a smirk on his face.

 

“You’re about to find out,” Oliver said as he notched the arrow. “Stop the train.”

 

“No, I don’t want to. Even if I did, I couldn’t. I destroyed the breaking system twenty miles ago,” the man said in a voice of someone discussing the weather.

 

“Willing to die to destroy a train station?” Oliver asked incredulously.

 

“No, that would be ridiculous,” The man said.

 

“Then how are you planning on getting off the train?!” Oliver demanded.

 

“Oh, you don’t know who I am, do you?” the man chuckled. “I’m Damien Darhk.”

 

Stunned, Oliver quickly fired an arrow at him, a kill shot aimed for the heart. However, Darhk raised his hand and, to Oliver’s shock, the air stopped in mid-air, hovering before Darhk’s hand. With a flick of Darhk’s wrist, the arrow was sent flying back at Oliver. Oliver used his bow to deflect the arrow and then rushed Darhk. They exchanged a few blows before Darhk grabbed him and threw Oliver into a pole. Oliver hit it back first and it bent back slightly.

 

“That all you got?” Darhk asked mockingly and Oliver growled.

 

Oliver jumped to his feet and rushed Darhk once again. However, Darhk grabbed Oliver by the neck and Oliver gasped as he felt his strength beginning to leave him.

 

“It seems you have much in common with The Arrow: You’ll both be dead,” Darhk said mockingly.

 

Darhk suddenly gasped as he went down, a tranq dart sticking out of his back. Oliver fell to his knees and looked up to see Spartan lower his gun. He walked over and offered Oliver a hand, which Oliver accepted.

 

“Thanks,” Oliver said and Spartan only nodded.

 

They looked to where Darhk was, only to see him gone. This threw them for only a moment, as they had to focus on the train.

 

“We need to stop this train,” Oliver said.

 

“Any ideas?” Spartan asked and Oliver nodded.

 

“Blow it up,” Oliver said simply.

 

After they jumped out of the train, Oliver notched an arrow and fired. The arrow landed on one of the cars and exploded. Soon, the entire train went up in a dance of flames and destruction.

 

Arrow lair

Later

 

“So what are you gonna call yourself now? Everyone thinks Roy was The Arrow,” Thea pointed out as they all gathered back at the lair.

 

“He won’t need a code name if he’s going back into retirement,” Diggle said, a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

 

“I’m afraid that’s no not an option,” Oliver said as he turned around, everyone looking confused. “Things are…worse than we thought.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Laurel asked confused and Oliver sighed.

 

“The man leading The Ghosts is Damien Darhk,” Oliver said everyone was shocked.

 

“Darhk left Star City months ago, why would he come back now?” Laurel asked and Oliver shrugged.

 

“Did Ra’s tell you anything about Darhk that might give us an idea about his agenda?” Diggle inquired.

 

“He said that Darhk had a Hive of operatives at his disposal,” Oliver said and Diggle started.

 

“Hive, that was the exact word he used?” Diggle asked and Oliver nodded.

 

“Yeah, does it mean something to you?” Oliver asked.

 

“No,” Diggle said after a moment.

 

Oliver eyed him suspiciously. He felt like Diggle was holding something back, but he decided not to press it, for now. He and John were not in a good place as it was, best not to push it.

 

“Look, I’m tired and I have a little girl to tuck in,” Diggle said, bringing Oliver back to the present as he turned to walk away.

 

“John,” Oliver called out.

 

“Listen Oliver, I’m not quite there yet, so let’s not do this now,” Diggle said.

 

“I know John. But there’s something we do need to do,” Oliver said to everyone’s confusion.

 

Star City

Not long after

 

“Six months ago, The Arrow died but what he stood for didn’t,” On every news station, radio, Internet feed or whatever kind of electronic device with a video feed, a man in a green hood appeared on the screen. “It lived on in those who chose to pick up his mantle. Those who believe that this city should never descend into hopelessness. Tonight, I am declaring my intention to stand with them. To fight for this city, for our families, for our children, until my last breath. I am…the Green Arrow.”

 

Hive headquarters

Same time

 

“It seems Mr. Queen has decided he’s not done playing hero,” Darhk noted as he watched the broadcast.

 

“What should we do?” One of his associate’s asked.

 

“For now, nothing. Let’s see what Oliver does next. Let the game begin,” Darhk smirked.

 

Oliver’s apartment

Later

 

“Heading home Raisa?” Oliver asked as he closed the door behind him.

 

“Mr. William in bed. He a good boy, like his father,” Raisa said, getting her bag and Oliver smiled weakly.

 

“I think we both know I was never good,” Oliver said and Raisa chuckled.

 

“You too hard on yourself Mr. Oliver. I saw an interesting video of man in green hood tonight,” Raisa mentioned with a look in his direction he didn’t understand.

 

“Did you now?” Oliver asked and she smiled.

 

“If you need me more often, you can call,” Raisa moved towards the door before pausing. “Your friend is here. Mr. William insisted he stay for dinner.”

 

“My friend?” Oliver asked confused.

 

“In the kitchen,” She said before walking out the door.

 

Perplexed, Oliver walked into the kitchen and saw Slade sitting at the kitchen table.

 

“Hey kid,” Slade said as he got to his feet.

 

“Slade,” Oliver said surprised. “What are you doing here? Not that it’s not good to see you.”

 

“Sorry to drop by like this. I came to tell you that the Intel you gave me on my son Joe, it panned out. So I’m heading to Calgary,” Slade explained.

 

“Well, that’s great. I’m happy for you,” Oliver said honestly. “I hope you find everything you’re looking for.”

 

“You don’t think I will?” Slade asked, noticing Oliver’s tone.

 

“I just think that finding your son doesn’t always end like you want,” Oliver sighed and Slade frowned.

 

“Have things been that hard for you and your son?” Slade questioned.

 

“Yeah,” Oliver admitted with a sigh.

 

“Be patient and be prepared,” Slade cautioned.

 

“For what?” Oliver raised an eyebrow.

 

“Choosing between being the man this city needs you to be or the father your son needs you to be,” Slade advised.

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Oliver asked confused.

 

“I saw your broadcast tonight kid. You and I walk between two worlds…but we can only do that for so long,” Slade advised.

 

Oliver considered this as Slade held out a hand, which Oliver shook.

 

“Good luck…Mr. Queen,” Slade said and Oliver nodded.

 

“Good luck Slade,” Oliver told him.

 

They dropped hands and Slade worked out. As he heard the door close behind Slade, Oliver sat down at the kitchen table, thinking over Slade’s words.

 

A few minutes later, Oliver walked into William’s room. William was still up, reading a book.

 

“Hey buddy,” Oliver said but there was no reaction from William, so Oliver pressed on. “I know the past few months have been difficult for you…and you blame me for part of it.”

 

William still did not react. Oliver sighed but pressed on.

 

“I used to blame my dad for things. He wasn’t perfect…neither am I. But he loved me. I know how much your mom loved you. She really did, her last words weren’t about saving her, but saving you. You don’t have to like me for me to take care of you. Because I’m your dad. The way that works is that I am going to be there for you whether you want me to be or not. I am never, ever walking away from you,” Oliver told him fin a voice filled with conviction that caused William to finally look up at him. “There’s a game on tomorrow if you want to…stay up late and watch it.”

 

Oliver turned around and began walking out. The ball was in William’s court now.

 

“Football or baseball?” William and Oliver stopped.

 

“Baseball,” Oliver said as he turned around to face his son.

 

“Ok,” William agreed.

 

“Okay,” Oliver echoed.

 

William turned back to his book and Oliver turned around, a smile on his face. It wasn’t much, but Oliver would take the small wins where he could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It honestly baffles me how there was no fallout between Quentin and Team Arrow for what happened to Roy. We saw Quentin shamelessly attempt to manipulate Thea’s worry for Roy in an attempt to make her give up Oliver. The fact that Roy did confessed to being The Arrow warranted he be put in protective custody, given his life would be in danger. But Quentin didn’t and if it hadn’t been a plan by Roy, Diggle, and Felicity, Roy’s death would be Quentin’s fault. You’d think there would be some fallout at least from Oliver and Thea over that, considering how much they both cared about Roy.


	3. The Candidate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AS an old family friend of the Queens is put in danger, Oliver has more difficulties with William. Tensions between Oliver and the rest of the team boil over.

Star City  
Night

Green Arrow stood over a tower, watching as the rest of the team took on the Ghosts. He itched to join in on the fight, but he knew that wasn’t his role here. Although part of him couldn’t help but think Diggle was trying to marginalize his role in the team due to his own issues with Oliver.

“I want a code name,” Felicity said over the comms, bringing the archer out of his thoughts.

“What?”

“Everyone has a code name, you even got a new one, I want a code name,” Felicity explained.

“We’ll discuss this later, now do you have anything on the bomb?” Green Arrow asked annoyed. 

“Scanning frequency signatures…got it,” Ghost frequency of choice is on the ground level. Ten’ll get you twenty it’s the bomb,” Felicity told. 

Green Arrow began moving out but paused, seeing Speedy engage some Ghosts. Those moves, the way she was going on them…concerned him. But now wasn’t the time.

“Ground floor, got it,” He cut off Felicity’s babble as he moved out.

Green Arrow jumped off where he was standing, reaching back into his quiver. He crashed through a ceiling and onto a floor, seeing two Ghosts standing guard over the bomb. He fired at them, getting them in the shoulders and they went down. He ignored Felicity’s chattering in his ear about the bomb, which he already knew, thank you, and walked over to it. He pulled out a spray and spray the bomb, which disarmed it.

“Get Spartan down here to handle the dismantling,” Green Arrow told her over the comms.

Arrow lair  
Later

“Well, that’s an honest night’s-morning’s work,” Felicity corrected herself as her phone alarm went off while the rest of the team walked in.

“Damn, I need to get home before William wakes up. I can’t believe I left Raisa with him all night,” Oliver scolded himself.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself, this is gonna be an adjustment for both of you,” Laurel told him and Oliver nodded, although he still looked guilty.

“Hey,” Oliver stopped Thea as she tried to walk out. “Can I talk to you for a sec? I kind of felt like you were out there for blood tonight.”

“You haven’t been dealing with these Ghosts as long as we have. If I go easy on them, things will end badly,” Thea snapped.

“There’s a line between what is necessary and what isn’t. I’m worried the line is blurring for you Speedy and you are going to put one of them down permanently,” Oliver warned her.

“I know where the line is, okay? And you need to get going if you want to see William off to school. Unless you want Raisa to do that too?” Thea snapped.

She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth and saw the look on Oliver’s face. He turned and walked out without a word, making her feel even guiltier.

“He’s just being concerned Thea. Appreciate him while you can, it wasn’t that long ago we thought he was gone forever,” Laurel pointed out before walking after Oliver.

Star City  
Morning

“Have a good day at school, okay? I’ll be here to pick you up this afternoon,” Oliver promised as he pulled up in front of the school.

“Even if you have to be the other guy?” William said vaguely.

“The other guy will never come before you,” Oliver promised. 

William didn’t look satisfied but nodded. He got out and walked into school, Oliver staring at him until he disappeared into the building.

Oliver and Thea’s loft  
Afternoon 

“Madison, how’s school?” Oliver asked as he and Thea had lunch with their mother’s friend, Jessica Danforth and her daughter Madison. 

“It was great. I graduated last May with a degree in Ancient philosophy,” Maddison said as Thea swallowed.

“Ancient Philosophy? What happened to your dream of being JT’s backup dancer?” Thea teased.

“That’s still plan B, obviously,” Madison said and they all laughed. 

“It’s so lovely to see you both. It’s been far too long,” Jessica said.

“Thea and I were glad you got in touch,” Oliver said politely.

“A little surprised though,” Thea mentioned and Oliver gave her a look for her rudeness.

“Well, I admit that reconnecting with the son and daughter of one of my oldest friends was not the only reason I called,” Jessica admitted.

“And here comes the crazy,” Madison muttered.

“Last week, like the rest of the city, I saw the Green Arrow’s broadcast. And it hit me. If that man could take up the Arrow’s mantle, I could take up your mother’s,” Jessica said and Oliver and Thea both raised an eyebrow.

“Excuse me?” Oliver said confused.

“I’m going to be running for Mayor,” Jessica announced to the Queen’s shock.

“Crazy,” Madison repeated.

“Obviously, no else is running but there will still need to be an election,” Jessica continued, ignoring her daughter.

“Mrs. Danforth, there’s a very good reason for that,” Oliver tried to reason with her.

“The last three mayors have been murdered,” Thea pointed out.

“To say nothing of the city’s leadership last week,” Oliver added.

“That’s why the city needs a mayor now more than ever. So I am stepping forward. And I would like your support,” Jessica said.

Oliver and Thea exchanged an uneasy glance before Oliver’s phone went off. Oliver pulled it out and frowned.

“Excuse me, this is my son’s school,” Oliver flashed an apologetic smile before standing up and walking away and answering the call. “Hello? Yes, this is. What? Okay, I will be right there.”

“Is something wrong Oliver?” Jessica asked as Oliver ended the call.

“Jessica, Madison, I’m sorry, but I need to leave. There’s been an altercation between William and one of his classmates, they want me down there” Oliver said apologetically. 

Oliver’s apartment  
Later in the afternoon

Oliver walked into his apartment, William walking in behind him. Oliver looked over at his son, who had a reddish eye from a hit the other boy had landed on him during the fight. Oliver sighed internally, he wanted to help but William was being difficult.

“Go to your room, no TV,” Oliver told him firmly.

William simply lugged his Flash backpack over his shoulder and made his way to his room. Oliver closed the door behind him, staring as William closed the door to his room. Oliver sighed as Raisa approached him.

“Trouble with Mr. William?” She asked and Oliver nodded. 

“He got in a fight with another boy at school. He won’t tell me why the fight started and I don’t know what to do,” Oliver admitted.

“New school is hard. You had trouble fitting in at his age,” Raisa remembered.

“What? What are you talking about? I had Tommy,” Oliver argued and she gave him a pointed look.

“I wouldn’t call having a friend who helps you get into trouble ‘fitting in’,” Raisa told him sternly.

“That’s…a fair point. Look, I need to go, could you see if you can get him to talk to you about what happened at school?” Oliver pleaded.

“I will do what I can Mr. Oliver,” Raisa promised.

“Raisa, you are a life saver,” Oliver told her gratefully before turning and walking out.

Star City  
Later in the afternoon

“Am I the only person who has a bad feeling about this?” Thea said as she and Oliver walked through the crowd.

“You could have said no,” Oliver pointed out.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Jessica Danforth,” The announced said and the siblings joined in on the applause as Jessica took the stage.

“Thank you, thank you all so much,” Jessica said as the applause died down. “For the past year, the mayor’s office has been vacant, waiting for someone to step forward. Today, I am proud to announce that I am stepping forward.”

The crowd applauded. Including Oliver and Thea, who looked at each other uncertainly.

“Two years ago, I lost my good friend, Moira Queen,” At this, Oliver put an arm around his sister as they both looked down in remembrance of their mother. “Who was also a candidate for Mayor. I remained inspired by her kind heart and her selfless devotion to this city.”

Before Jessica’s speech could continue, gunfire pierced the air. The crowd dispersed as they ran for cover, the bullets piercing the podium. Fortunately, Jessica’s security had already gotten her out of their at that point. Oliver and Thea looked around for the source.

“Shots came from up there,” Thea pointed towards the balcony on the top floor and Oliver moved to investigate. “No, you protect Jessica. I’ve got this.”

“Be careful,” Oliver said before he raced off.

Thea raced up the stairs but so no one was up there, just an automated rifle firing.

“The shots are just a distraction, no one’s up here!” Thea shouted.

Knowing he had little time, Oliver sped up and found Jessica about to be attacked by a member of her own detail. Acting fast, Oliver tackled the man away from Jessica. There was a brief struggle before Oliver pushed the man over the edge of the railing. Fortunately for the assailant, it wasn’t a long drop, so he picked himself up and ran.

“Get back to the atrium!” Oliver barked at Jessica.

“Oliver, how did you?” Jessica asked overwhelmed.

“Uh, self-defense classes,” Oliver scrambled for an excuse before jumping over the railing.

The moment his feet touched the ground, Oliver rushed through the door the assailant had gone through, which led to a stairwell. Oliver ran up the stairwell and saw the assailant making his way across a stage and towards an emergency door. A few seconds behind his target, Oliver followed him out the emergency door to the assailant jump off the roof of a truck. Oliver followed the stair and jumped off them to the roof of the truck to the street. Oliver tried to pursue the assailant but was hit by a car from behind. It wasn’t going that fast, so it barely fazed Oliver, but it gave the assailant enough time to escape.

Arrow lair  
Later

“She announces her candidacy and two seconds later someone’s trying to kill her? Must be a record for our city,” Diggle muttered as Team Arrow stood in the lair.

“She’s not dropping out of the race, so this isn’t over,” Oliver pointed out. 

“My father has a protection detail on her,” Laurel assured them

“Yeah, but even with protection at the announcement, she didn’t seem too safe,” Thea argued.

“Is it me or is the shooting of a potential city leader feeling a little Ghost-y?” Felicity asked.

“He wasn’t wearing a mask,” Thea argued.

“Doesn’t mean Darhk isn’t involved. But there was something else different about him: he left behind some evidence,” Oliver said, leading the others to the windshield with finger prints on a palm print on it

“Fingerprints,” Diggle realized and Oliver nodded.

“How did you get the owner to part with his vehicle?” Laurel inquired.

“I bought his truck,” Oliver said and the others looked at him in surprise. “Did you really think I could afford to put William through school if I was broke? All the money I made from Verdant and Queen Consolidated, I put in a private account.”

“I don’t think it was money well spent Oliver,” Felicity said as she sat down at the computers. “I don’t think these prints are going to do us any good.”

“What the hell?” Thea asked as the computer bought up the prints, which were strange.

“I’m not an expert, but I think our new friend may have cut off his fingertips and played a little mix and match,” Felicity said, looking a little green. “I’ll keep digging; maybe this is an MO, that’ll tell us something.”

“In the meantime, we backstop the SCPD. Thea was right, Jessica needs more help than the police can offer,” Oliver ordered, Diggle looking annoyed at Oliver as he began walking out.

“She’s in protective custody and I’m pretty sure my father won’t be in favor of us staking out his precinct,” Laurel pointed out.

“Well, I stopped caring about what he wanted when he arrested Roy to die,” Oliver cut her off swiftly as he walked out.

Star City Police Department  
Night

Quentin was barking orders at one of his officers when he rounded a corner and nearly ran into Oliver.

“Do you have a minute?” Oliver inquired.

With a thin smile, Quentin gestured with his head towards his office. Oliver followed Quentin inside his office as the older man closed the door behind him.

“Caught your TV debut,” Quentin said casually.

“I’m not here to talk about me Captain, Jessica Danforth is a friend. We would like to help keep her safe. With everything the city’s facing, you could use the help,” Oliver pointed out and Quentin scoffed as he sat down.

“You’ve been gone, you don’t know what the city’s been facing,” Quentin sneered.

“I know more than you think Captain. Don’t make this about your grudge or your ego, an innocent woman’s life is at stake,” Oliver argued.

“I’m not saying this city doesn’t need saving, but it needs someone to stand up in the light of day. A guy lurking in the shadows isn’t gonna get things done,” Quentin argued.

“Someone like you? Forgive me if I don’t take the advice of the man who got my partner killed,” Oliver sneered.

“You did that when you brought him into this. Brainwashed him until he was willing to do whatever you needed,” Quentin sneered and Oliver chuckled humorlessly.

“There’s always someone else to blame, isn’t there Captain? I had a similar conversation with Laurel when she was struggling with her alcoholism. I’ll say to you what I said to her: You are still blaming everyone but yourself. You know, I used to respect you, admire you. But you lost that when you got Roy killed and then blamed me for it. And you have proven every day since that you’re not the man I thought you were,” Oliver told him coldly. 

Oliver then turned and walked out, leaving Quentin alone with his thoughts.

Oliver’s apartment  
Later

“Keep me updated,” Oliver said as he walked it, hanging up the phone as Raisa walked over.

“Keeping watch on Ms. Jessica?” Raisa asked.

“Just making sure she’s comfortable. How’s William?” Oliver inquired.

“The other boy taunting him about his mother,” Raisa said and Oliver sighed.

“God. Thank you Raisa,” Oliver told her before making his way over to William’s room.

He opened the door to see William aggressively beating his Flash backpack.

“William,” Oliver said and William dropped it as he looked over at his father. “That was a gift from a very good friend of mine.”

“It’s all fake! Superheroes don’t save anyone,” William said bitterly and Oliver winced.

“Look, buddy, I know school is hard. If you want, I can show you a few moves-”

“No, because I don’t want to learn how to fight,” William said.

“I don’t want you to learn how to fight, but you can’t always reason with bullies,” Oliver told him.

“You just left me here! By myself!” William snapped.

“You weren’t by yourself, you were with Raisa,” Oliver pointed out.

“When you walk out that door, when you put on that suit, I never know if you’re coming back!” William snapped.

“I will always come back,” Oliver promised.

“Like my mom?” William asked and Oliver winced.

“This is different,” Oliver assured him.

“Yeah, it’s worse. Because there’s a million psychos always trying to kill you,” William pointed out as he sat on his bed.

“I can handle them,” Oliver quickly assured them.

“And what if you can’t? Then you’ll be done and I’ll have nobody,” William said and Oliver opened and closed his mouth but no words came out. “You don’t understand.”

“Yes I do understand. I lost my mom and I lost my dad…and I was a lot older than you are now. But I remember exactly how it feels. It’s sad, it’s scary, and it’s lonely, and I promise I will never let that happen to you,” Oliver said earnestly.

“It’s not up to you,” William said miserably. 

Oliver opened his mouth but his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled to out to see Felicity’s picture on the screen.

“I have to take this but we will finish talking about this,” Oliver promised as he walked out.

Oliver closed the door behind him before he answered.

“Go,” Oliver barked.

“No luck on matching the fingerprints, but I did get something else. There was a residue of Cellulose on the palm print our guy left on the windshield. The molecular structure of it had been patented by Palmer Technologies. A subsidy called Palmer Papers I had to shut down a couple months ago as a cost cutting measure,” Felicity explained.

“A perfect hideout. Where’s the paper mill?” Oliver demanded.

Star City  
Later

Green Arrow and Speedy rode in on their motorcycles, looking around as they got off.

“Stay sharp, he’s got some sort of electricity weapon,” Green Arrow warned as they approached a homeless man.

The man dropped whatever he was holding as they approached, Speedy holding up a photo of the assailant. 

“The guy in the photo, you seen him?” Green Arrow asked.

“I don’t see much, I sleep a lot. But that guy,” he pointed to a man a little older than Thea, “he sees a lot. He deals out of here, does a lot of business.”

Nodding, Green Arrow and Speedy turned and approached.

“Hey, we need to ask you a few questions,” Speedy barked.

“Step off freak,” The man sneered. 

Speedy shoved him and he stumbled back a bit. Speedy held up the photo again.

“The guy in the photo, you seen him?” Speedy demanded.

“You masks, you think you’re in charge,” the man sneered. “Maybe you were, but not anymore. There are new masks-”

Speedy grabbed his wrist and began twisting it at a painful angle. Green Arrow cried out but Speedy ignored him.

“Still want to use your arm? Still think you’re in charge?” Speedy snarled before twisting his arm.

“Hey!” Green Arrow barked as he yanked her arm off the man. “Get out of here!”

Glaring at her brother, Speedy stormed over to her motorcycle and got on it. Green Arrow watched, now even more concerned, as she drove off.

Arrow Lair  
Later

“Got an ID on our Mr. Creepy,” Felicity cheered.

“I thought that his fingerprints were all screwed up,” Laurel said as she and Diggle walked up behind her.

“They were, but I have an obsession with jigsaw puzzles. Lonnie Machin, part time mob enforcer, full time crazy pants,” Felicity said as she brought up his picture. “Done jobs for the Bertinelli’s, the Triad, and Rick Pinzolo.” 

“We’re gonna have a conversation about what just happened,” Oliver told Thea in a no nonsense voice as they walked into the lair, causing the others to look up at them.

“What just happened was that that guy had information and I was trying to get it out of him,” Thea snapped.

“You broke his arm Thea,” Oliver scoffed.

“He was stalling!” Thea protested.

“He was scared. Come here.” Oliver almost growled as he grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to him.

“What are you doing?” Thea yanked her arm out of his hand.

“I need to show you something. At the water plant, you took down a Ghost. You could have done it with a very simple disarming technique. Like this,” Oliver demonstrated the technique on her, causing Diggle, Felicity, and Laurel to stand up. “But that’s not what you did.”

Thea lunged at him but Oliver easily subdued her without hurting her. Oliver grabbed her arm and made her bend forward.

“You went overboard with a series of techniques you probably learned from Malcolm that are designed to do one thing, cripple!” Oliver shouted.

Thea roared as she yanked her arm out of his grip before punching her brother. She then lunged for him, tackling him and knocking him into a shelf. The shelf went over with them on it. Laurel and Diggle rushed forward and pulled Thea off Oliver.

“That’s enough! That’s enough!” Diggle snapped and Tea seemed to come back to herself. “Demonstrations over!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Oliver said as Thea regained her breathing. “After Ra’s hurt you, Malcolm warned me not to take you to Nanda Parbat. He said that when people go into the pit, they don’t come out the same. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to worry you and I swear to god Thea, I thought everything was going to be fine.”

“And then you left! So you know what? It doesn’t really qualify you to judge me or anyone else!” Thea snapped as she stepped forward to Oliver.

She turned to walk away but Oliver had finally had enough. After a weak of putting up with crap from Diggle, Thea, and even Quentin, Oliver had reached his breaking point.

“I paid for that with Samantha’s life!” Oliver snapped and Thea stopped as everyone stared at him. “You know what, you and Laurel came to me, asked for my help, and ever since all you have done is be condescending to me when I try to give you advice and usually ignore my suggestions! I just had a conversation with my son, who is worried that I am going to get myself killed and he is going to end up alone! I told him that wouldn’t happen but I can’t make that promise! I have been struggling with how to reconcile with the fact that he is right. You know, Slade told me that I would need to choose between being the man this city needs and the father William needs. Well, thank you guys, you have made that choice very easy.” 

“Ollie, what are you saying?” Laurel asked wearily as Oliver flashed a grim smile.

“What I’m saying is, if you guys don’t think you need my help, fine. Then you can take on Damien Darhk and The Ghosts without me. I. Quit,” Oliver announced to their shock. 

Without another word, Oliver turned and stormed out, leaving the others to simply stare in shock, their brains not quite processing what had just happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t worry; Oliver is not going into retirement. But honestly, I don’t know why Oliver put up with the constant disrespect, the little snide remarks in season four. Oliver from previous seasons didn’t put up with it and he clearly did not put up with it in season six. So he’s not putting up with their crap here, no matter who its from.


	4. Oliver's decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Team arrow searches for Madison, Oliver comes to a decision. Oliver gives Diggle some hard truths.

Starling City Police Department

Same time

 

“Come to visit me in my confinement?” Jessica asked as Oliver walked into the room Quentin was keeping her in for her safety.

 

“Thought you could use some company,” Oliver said as he walked over to her.

 

“And a little ‘I told you so’?” Jessica raised an eyebrow.

 

“Oh, I didn’t bring it,” Oliver joked and she laughed. “That being said, it’s not too late for you to drop out.”

 

“And send what message? That on top of the city’s other problems, we give in to terrorism? The people here deserve better, they deserve someone to be brave for them,” Jessica argued.

 

“That’s what the Green Arrow’s for,” Oliver protested.

 

“He’s not enough. Yes he keeps the city safe, but who inspires them? Who makes sure there’s a city worth saving? That it’s a place my daughter can call home?” Jessica asked and Oliver was thrown.

 

“Where is Madison?” Oliver changed the subject.

 

“Library. Poor kid had finals, so I sent her back to school. Doesn’t worry, Captain Lance sent her with more than enough cops to keep her safe,” Jessica assured him as a pit of dread settled in his stomach.

 

“Maybe you should call her,” Oliver suggested, trying not to show his nervousness and alarm her.

 

Star City

Same time

 

A cell phone rang around two dead cops, Jessica’s picture appearing on the phone.

 

Star City

Later

 

“To the man holding my daughter captive,” Jessica said as the cameras recorded her. “I am begging you! Please, let my baby go. She’s all I have. She’s my whole world.”

 

Unable to keep composure anymore, Jessica turned and raced off the stage. As she made her way out of the room, Oliver was reminded of a time when he was in Jessica’s position.

 

_Ivy town, two months ago_

_Afternoon_

_“You require…incentive,” White said as she handed him the pone._

_He looked down at the video feed and his blood ran cold. It was his old flame, Samantha Clayton, in a dark room. A young boy was with her, obviously her son. There was no doubt in Oliver’s mind that this boy was his son; White wouldn’t be trying to use them against him if he wasn’t._

Now

 

Oliver was brought out of his memories by Quentin walking over.

 

“The man who took her killed the officers escorting her with some sort of electricity weapon. Shot ‘em up with five thousand volts, slit their throats for good measure,” Quentin explained.

 

“His name is Lonnie Machin,” Oliver told him.

 

“Do I even wanna know where you got that information?” Quentin asked wearily.

 

“You can’t do this alone, you know that. Two of you men are down, let us help. Or is the life of an innocent girl whose only crime is being at the wrong place at the wrong time worth less to you than your ego?” Oliver demanded.

 

Arrow lair

Later

 

“Oliver?” Felicity said, surprised to see Oliver walk in. “I thought you quit.”

 

“I did, but Jessica is an old friend and I know what it’s like to have your child in the crosshairs of a psychopath. I’m staying to make sure Madison comes out of this alive, then I’m gone. Any news?” Oliver asked and she shook her head.

 

“Only the bad kind,” Felicity said and Oliver nodded.

 

“Look, I’m sorry about earlier,” Oliver began and she looked over at him. “That wasn’t about you or Laurel, you two just got caught in the crossfire.”

 

“Wow, an Oliver Queen apology, I must be special,” Felicity joked and Oliver gave her an annoyed look. “Sorry. I know we’re not together anymore but…if you want to talk about it…”

 

“William is scared that I’m going to make him an orphan,” Oliver said after a moment. “I can’t tell him he’s wrong, because every time I put on that suit, I’m putting my life at risk. Slade told me I need to choose between being a hero and being a father. And I chose him, but now with this…how do I just stop when I know there are dozens of mothers and fathers going through what Jessica is now?”

 

“I don’t know. If you’re looking for an easy answer to that question, I don’t think there is one,” Felicity said as the others walked in.

 

“Ollie,” Thea said, surprised and hopeful.

 

“I thought you left,” Diggle said rudely.

 

“I’m here to make sure Jessica gets her daughter back. Because I know what it’s like to have your child at the mercy of a madman,” Oliver pointed out coolly.

 

“You sure you can out up with us for that long?” Diggle sneered and Oliver smiled coolly.

 

“Unlike you, I can keep my emotions from clouding my judgement,” Oliver shot back and Diggle’s face clouded with anger.

 

Before Diggle could blow his top, Oliver’s phone rang. Pulling it out, Oliver frowned as he saw Quentin’s face on the screen before he answered.

 

“Captain?” Oliver said and Laurel started.

 

“Heavy Heavy Club, forth and pierce,” Quentin said.

 

“What about it?”

 

“It’s where Lonnie Machin is holding Jessica Danforth’s daughter,” Quentin told him.

 

“Thank you for the tip Captain,” Oliver said before hanging up. “Suit up, I know where Madison is.”

 

Star City

Later

 

Machin was about to kill Madison when the glass window’s above them shattered. Machin looked up as Team Arrow landed on their feet, aiming their weapons at him.

 

“Something wrong with the front door?”

 

“Get away from the girl!” Green Arrow barked.

 

“Can you come back in an hour? We were just getting started.” Machin said sadistically.

 

Machin pushed Madison away and Green Arrow fired. Machin took cover behind a barrel, dodging the arrow. Machin pulled out a flame thrower and turned it on Team Arrow. They took cover, dodging the intense flames. Machin turned it off and fled deeper into the building. As Spartan and Black Canary raced over to Madison, Green Arrow tapped his comms.

 

“Felicity,” he began.

 

“See, this is why I need a code name, now he knows you’re working with a Felicity,” Felicity whined.

 

“Not the time Felicity,” Green Arrow said annoyed. “We got Madison, but he split.”

 

“There’s no movement outside the club, he must still be in there,” Felicity explained.

 

“She needs medical attention,” Spartan said, holding Madison in his arms.

 

“Get her to safety, we’ve got this,” Green arrow assured them.

 

Spartan and Black Canary nodded before they turned and walked out with Madison. As Speedy turned to go, Green Arrow put a hand on her shoulder.

 

“Hey, can you handle this?” He asked her.

 

“I’m good,” Speedy assured him.

 

Green Arrow nodded, knowing he would have to take her word for it for the moment.

 

The two archers walked further into the club, their bows notched with an arrow. As they walked in different directions, searching for their target, Machin jumped out behind Speedy, shocking her with his weapon. She cried out in pain, drawing her brother’s attention.

 

“Speedy!”

 

As she went down, Green Arrow fired at Machin. Machin deflected the arrow with his weapon and charged at the archer. Machin tried to strike at him with his Kama but Green Arrow dodged the strikes, blocking them with his bow. Machin managed to knock him to the ground with a well-placed strike with his Kama and pulled out his electric weapon to strike the archer. But the archer dodged it and, with a well-aimed kick to Machin’s feet, knocked the psychopath off his feet. As Machin reached for his electric weapon, Speedy rushed in and grabbed it as Green Arrow punched him. Machin got up and he and Green arrow exchanged a few blows. Green Arrow sent a powerful kick to Machin’s chest and he stumbled back, running into a shelf full of liquor. It collapsed around him, spilling his clothes full of liquor, flammable liquor. As Speedy rushed to him with the electric weapon, Green Arrow realized her intentions.

 

Green Arrow quickly notched an arrow and fired. His arrow hit the weapon in his sister’s hand, knocking it out of her hand. She blinked before it landed in Machin’s hand. He shocked her and she cried out as she went down. Enraged, Green Arrow rushed Machin as they exchanged some more blows between bow and Kama. As Speedy watched dazed, Machin managed to land a blow with his Kama. Green Arrow stumbled back before firing an arrow. It went low and hit Machin in the hand. Machin cried out as Green Arrow slugged him, making him drop his Kama and Green Arrow punched him once more. Machin, to his surprise, simply yanked out the arrow, groaning as he did.

 

“Should’ve aimed for the heart,” Machin said as he picked up his electric device. “You know, I wish you’d gotten here a few minutes later. The things I would’ve liked to do to that girl, oooh. Her momma would have had nightmares for life.”

 

Oliver didn’t remember reaching back into his quiver or notching the arrow. All he remembered was letting go of the jaw string. The arrow went flying and hit Machin in the chest. Machin stumbled back, shock and pain on his face as he fell back, dead.

 

“Ollie?” Thea said alarmed as her brother simply stared, stunned by his own actions.

 

Star City Police Department

Later

 

Oliver smiled at the reunion between mother and daughter before walking over, making his presence known.

 

“Madison, are you alright?” Oliver asked and she nodded.

 

“A few bumps and bruises and probably the world’s worst case of insomnia but I’ll be fine,” Madison said, smiling through her tears as Quentin made his way over.

 

“I’m sorry about this but I have an army of reporters out there, asking if you want to give a statement.” Quentin said apologetically.

 

“Yes, I’ll be out in a few minutes.” Jessica said as she wiped her eyes.

 

“You don’t have to do that tonight.” Oliver said immediately.

 

“Yes, I do. I have to tell them what I’ve decided,” Jessica said and Oliver was thrown. “I’ve decided that redrawing my candidacy.  I’m not running for mayor.”

 

Oliver and Quentin both watched sadly as Jessica and Madison walked off. Then, Quentin turned to Oliver, anger clear on his face.

 

“Give me one reason I shouldn’t book you for murder?” Quentin sneered.

 

“I don’t imagine your superiors would be too thrilled with how often you gave access to police information and evidence to a vigilante that you later tried to arrest,” Oliver said and Quentin stiffened. “I have a record of each and every time you helped me out as The Arrow. You wanna arrest me, fine, but I’ll take you down with me if I have to.”

 

“You would do that, out of spite?” Quentin demanded.

 

“No, for what you did to Roy. Because you can try and spin it as much as you want until you actually believe that I caused Roy’s death, but you and I both know that if you had given Roy proper protection, he’d still be here. I know I’m not innocent, but neither are you Captain. And if you ever make a move against me or any member of my team, just remember, I’ll take you down with us if I have to. We don’t have to be enemies Captain, but that’s up to you. Just like it always has been,” Oliver said before he turned and walked off, leaving the stunned Quentin staring after him.

 

Arrow lair

Later

 

“So, you’re going back into retirement then?” Laurel asked hesitantly as they saw Oliver hang his bow up.

 

“No,” Oliver said to the relief of all but Diggle. “That was said in the heat of the moment in a time when I was overly stressed and at my limit. And this situation with Madison has taught that, whatever my issues with all of you, I shouldn’t let it impact what I do here. I can put my ego aside if all of you can.”

 

“I got caught up with the rush here…and maybe the blood lust had something to do with it. Maybe you were right to worry about me, I’m sorry,” Thea said as she stepped forward.

 

“I will always worry about you Speedy. Because I am the big brother,” Oliver said as he wrapped his arms around his sister and they shared an embrace of familial love.

 

“I was thinking of taking her away for a few days, to a spa getaway,” Laurel mentioned as they let each other go.

 

“As long as there aren’t any hot tubs, ‘cause that’s what got me in this mess.” Thea said dryly.

 

“I think that’s a great idea.” Oliver nodded to Laurel in thanks, who mouthed ‘you’re welcome’ at him. “And I wanted to apologize Laurel. I shouldn’t have taken my anger out on you, that wasn’t fair.”

 

“It’s fine, I understand,” Laurel smiled before looking at John and Felicity. “Think you two can handle things while we’re away?”

 

“I think we’ll manage,” Diggle said, eying Oliver grimly.

 

“Great, I’ll see you when I get back,” Thea said as she walked over to Laurel and they walked ff.

 

“Oliver, we need to talk about what happened at the club,” Diggle said and Oliver sighed.

 

“Great, another thing for you to criticize me for,” Oliver said sarcastically.

 

“Why don’t you tell us what happened,” Felicity suggested, trying to avoid an argument.

 

“He made a crude comment about what he was planning on doing to Madison and I snapped. It wasn’t my intention to kill him but I’m not sorry he’s dead,” Oliver said apathetically.

 

“Oliver, that’s not how we do things anymore,” Diggle said and Oliver scoffed.

 

“Yeah? Well, maybe if we did, my son would still have his mother,” Oliver said and there was a stunned silence in the lair.

 

“You don’t really believe that Oliver,” Felicity told him.

 

“Oh, but I do. When I came back after The Undertaking, I could have killed China White but I thought that killing anyone would dishonor Tommy’s memory. I allowed you two to convince me that I could do this without killing and my son lost his mother as a result. That is a mistake I will never make again. I need to get home to my son, I’m done talking about this,” Oliver said as he moved passed Diggle and Felicity.

 

“You never listen to me!” Diggle snapped and Oliver stopped. “Never! I don’t know why I bothered for so long to turn you into something you’re clearly not!”

 

“Yeah, because I’m as dark and twisted as The League, right?” Oliver asked as he turned around and walked over to Diggle. “And it’s the opposite. I listened to you for far too long. I allowed myself to be fooled into thinking I could do this without killing. I was wrong. Just as I was wrong about you John.”

 

“What is that supposed to mean?” Diggle demanded and Oliver smiled tightly.

 

“You hate me because of what I did to Lyla, to Sara. But do you know what any member of the League would have done in my position, what Maseo wanted to do? They would have killed Lyla and taken Sara as leverage,” Oliver said bluntly and Diggle paled. “Am I proud of what I did? No, but I did what I had to In order to keep everyone alive. Every decision I made while undercover was to make sure everyone came out of this alive. The man I recruited three years ago would not need me to explain this to him. That man would have come to this conclusion himself by now. He would not hold on to a petty grudge and denounce me as this unredeemable monster. The John Diggle I recruited was a good man. He was my closest ally, constantly guiding me, setting me on a better path; he reminded me what it meant to be a human being. He was my best friend. But what I finally realize John…is that you aren’t that man anymore. And you haven’t been in a long time.”

 

“Oliver-” Diggle began but Oliver cut him off.

 

“We’ve said all that needs to be said John. We may be out there, but we are not out there together. Every story needs a villain John. I’m sorry you see me as the villain in yours,” Oliver said softly.

 

Without another word, Oliver turned around and walked out of the lair, Diggle too stunned to call after him.

 

“Are you happy now John?” Felicity asked once Oliver was gone. “Have you finally punished him enough for what he did? Because you’ve finally driven Oliver away. He’s finally given up on you. I hope it was worth it John, I really do.”

 

Oliver’s apartment

Later

 

“You’re home early,” William said, not looking up from the book he was reading as Oliver walked into his room.

 

“I’m trying to make that a regular thing,” Oliver said.

 

“Whatever,” William said disinterested and Oliver sighed.

 

“I would like to apologize William,” Oliver said and William finally looked up.

 

“For what?”

 

“For making you a promise I wasn’t one-hundred percent sure I could keep. You were right and I was wrong,” Oliver admitted.

 

“Raisa said you have a hard time admitting when you’re wrong,” William said and Oliver chuckled.

 

“You have no idea. Can I sit?” Oliver gestured to William’s bed.

 

William nodded and Oliver sat at the foot of his bed.

 

“I want to tell you a story. It’s about me, the first year I came back from the island,” Oliver began and William raised an eyebrow. “My friend Laurel, she was helping these people who a bad man had wronged terribly. They were going to expose what he had done. So, this bad man hired an even worse man to kill them. He did, but he didn’t get to their son. But the son had seen his face, so now these bad men wanted to kill their kid, who wasn’t much older than you are now.”

 

“What happened?” William asked softly.

 

“Laurel took the son into her custody, temporarily. They stayed with me and my mom at our house. The bad man showed up there. The cops couldn’t stop him, our security couldn’t stop him.”

 

“But you could,” William noted and Oliver nodded.

 

“But I could stop him,” Oliver agreed. “If I hadn’t, the son probably would have died, so would my mom, Laurel, my friend Tommy, and everyone in my house. Because I stopped this man, they all survived and that boy got to go live with family, got to grow up. When I see something like that, I can’t just turn away from it. Sometimes I wish I could William. Every day, something like that happens in this city. If I can do something about it, I feel like it’s my responsibility to do something about it. You hear me?”

 

“Yeah,” William said, a bit of understanding in his eyes.

 

“Good. And I want you to know, I hear you to. And no matter what happens, I will make sure you never end up alone, ever. And I promise every single day to be the best father I can be and that I know how to be. That promise is one-hundred percent,” Oliver said as he looked over at William.

 

“Okay,” William said after a moment.

 

“Okay,” Oliver learned over and kissed William on the forehead before standing up. “Don’t stay up much longer, you still have school tomorrow.”

 

Oliver walked out of William’s room, gently closing the door behind him. He walked out into the living room where Raisa was getting ready to leave.

 

“Thank you Raisa, I don’t pay you enough for everything you do here,” Oliver said gratefully.

 

“I never been after money Mr. Oliver,” Raisa smiled. “It good that the Green Arrow saved Ms. Madison, yes?”

 

“Yeah,” Oliver said with a faraway look, something Raisa noticed.

 

“Something on your mind Mr. Oliver?”

 

“It’s nothing. Just…Captain Lance and Jessica both said something to me, that this city needs something the Green Arrow can’t offer. Raisa…I think I’m gonna run for mayor.”

 

Starling Cemetery

Same time

 

“Are you sure you wanna do this?” Thea asked Laurel as they stared at Sara’s casket, which they had just dug up.

 

“Too late to turn back now,” Laurel muttered as she jumped down.

 

Laurel then opened the casket and stared down at her sister’s rotting corpse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to any Diggle fans but honestly, that is my view on his character. Diggle went from Oliver’s brother in arms, a sort of replacement Slade to Oliver, to just a verbally abusive person who never has Oliver’s back and just tears him down over and over again. I think the only reason Diggle is still on the show as Oliver’s wingman is because Oliver is so broken inside he thinks he deserves the way Diggle treats him.


	5. Attack at home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Diggle gets a lead on Hive, Oliver and William are attacked by a new enemy. Oliver and Diggle examine their broken relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this chapter, I’m only going to be focusing on the happenings in Star City. The events in Nanda Parbat happen pretty much the same.

Star City  
Night

Spartan was in a lumber year, chasing after some Ghosts. He opened fire on two, getting them before another hit him with the side of his rifle. Spartan looked up as the Ghost took aim at him before, to his confusion; the Ghost took off running instead of firing.

“Spartan?” Felicity asked over the comms.

“You have any idea where that son of a bitch went?” Spartan asked as he got to his feet.

“He vanished; we call them Ghosts for a reason. But Oliver is on it,” Felicity assured him.

True to her word, Green Arrow rode in on his motorcycle. He fired at The Ghost and the arrow nicked his shoulder. A mini explosion went off near Green Arrow and his motorcycle crashed onto the ground. The archer got up quickly, looking for his target but the Ghost was long gone.

“Oliver?” Felicity called verb the comms.

“I’m fine, but I lost sight of our target. I hit him with a tracer arrow,” Green Arrow told her.

“He is twenty feet ahead guys,” Felicity said after a moment.

Green Arrow raced around but, by the time he got there, Spartan was on the ground.

“You okay?” the archer asked as he helped his teammate up.

“Fine. Felicity, what about The Ghost Oliver hit?” Spartan asked.

“I can’t find him. Man, these guys are good,” Felicity said impressed despite herself as Spartan groaned.

“We need more boots on the ground. Laurel and Thea picked a fine time for a spa getaway. Where are they are anyway?” Spartan asked as he looked over at Green Arrow.

“Don’t know, Laurel just said they were going out of the city,” the archer admitted. 

Arrow lair  
Later

“I know that was a bust, but wasn’t it fun having the old team back together?” Felicity said as Oliver and Diggle walked back in.

“Any luck on that Ghost I shot?” Oliver asked and Felicity shook her head.

“No, like I said, these guys are good,” Felicity said before Diggle handed her a tooth and she took it in disgust. “You shouldn’t have.”

“I got that off one of The Ghosts,” Diggle explained.

“It’s where they keep their cyanide capsules,” Oliver noted.

“Looks like an upper left bicuspid. There was a brief period where I envision a future for myself as a dental hygienist,” Felicity said as Diggle and Oliver shot her looks.

“Best lead we’ve gotten in the last three months,” Diggle noted as Felicity put the tooth in the sequencer.

“It’ll take the DNA sequencer a little bit of time, so I was thinking margaritas while we wait? Remember that place we went after we took down The Dodger?” Felicity suggested. 

“I’m up for it. Oliver?” Diggle asked as he looked over at the archer.

“I’ve got a son to get home to,” Oliver said curtly as he turned around.

Diggle sighed as Oliver walked out. 

“Some advice would be helpful right about now,” Diggle said as he looked over at Felicity.

“I really don’t have any. Did you expect him to just wait around for you to get over yourself?” Felicity asked bluntly and Diggle sighed. “You created the mess John. You need to clean it up.”

Diggle’s apartment  
Later 

Diggle was walking down the hall to his apartment when he saw the door to his home was cracked open. Diggle pulled out a gun and cautiously entered his home, seeing a man he didn’t recognize standing by the window sill.

“Who are you?” Diggle demanded.

“Definitely not someone who deserves to be shot. Your wife and kid are out, by the way,” the man said and Diggle glowered as he approached.

“Who are you?” Diggle demanded slowly.

“Relax,” the man said as he reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out his wallet, showing an Argus ID. “I’m a friendly.”

“You’re Argus?” Diggle asked as he pocketed his gun.

“You can read,” He said sarcastically and Diggle scowled. “Lyla sent me. Back before she was director, she asked me for a favor. Took me a while because, well, favors aren’t at the top of my to do list,” the man said as he handed Diggle a yellow envelope. “Here. ID on whoever hired Floyd Lawton to do a hit back in ’09.”

Diggle opened the envelope and pulled out the contents, a photograph of a woman he didn’t recognize. Flipping it over, he was a name on the back.

“Mina Fayad?” Diggle read. “Where can I find her?”

“Well, that’s the best part. TSA flagged her coming in last night. Flew in from Makovia. I’ll contact you with her location,” The man told him.

Hive Hideout  
Same time

“Ah, Ms. Fayad. You brought a guest,” Darhk said, closing his cabinet and turning around to face Fayad, her guest, and the Ghost escorting her.

“As instructed,” Fayad said.

“Not by me,” Darhk said a dangerous undertone to his voice.

“The vigilante problem in this city is greater than anticipated. Your partners in Hive asked me to take steps,” Fayad said and Darhk eyed the man Fayad had brought with her.

“You don’t exactly look like a problem solver. What do you do?” Darhk asked.

“Play cards mostly,” the man said vaguely.

“Perhaps a demonstration,” Fayad suggested. 

“Funny you should mention that. I have just the problem,” Darhk said as two of Ghosts brought in another, this one unmasked. “My operatives are under orders to choose death before capture. This gentleman chose wrongly.”

“They got to me before I could take the counter measure,” The Ghost tried to explain.

“He’s also prone to excuses, which I find tiresome,” Darhk said.

Fayad’s guest nodded before pulling off three tattoos of playing cards on his arms. They turned into real cards, which he then proceeded to throw at the Ghost. They hit him in the chest and he fell back, dead. Darhk laughed in delight, walking forward to inspect the body.

“That’s good,” Darhk complimented.

“That was free. Taking out the Green Arrow and his friends, that’ll cost you,” the tattooed man said.

“I only need you to take out the Green Arrow. Without him, his friends will be easy pickings. And it’ll be easy, because I know who he is under that hood,” Darhk revealed and the tattooed man grinned.

“Good.”

Oliver apartment  
Later

“Raisa doesn’t let me have snacks before bed,” William mentioned as Oliver gave him a bowl of ice cream.

“I won’t tell if you don’t,” Oliver winked and William laughed. 

As William began eating, Oliver’s phone rang. Seeing Felicity’s picture flash across the screen, he answered.

“Any luck on that tooth John got?” Oliver asked.

“Yes. And no. This tooth has half the genetic markers it should have. Half!” Felicity exclaimed and Oliver’s eyes narrowed.

“How is that possible?”

“It isn’t. This guy should be a pile of goo,” Felicity said as Oliver became distracted.

“Okay,” Oliver said as he listened for something.

“Okay? I tell you something is not medically possible and you say okay?” Felicity asked incredulously.

“Felicity, I think there’s someone the fire escape,” Oliver said lowly. 

The window to the fire escae shattered as a playing card flew through the window and hit the phone, knocking it out of his hand. William dropped the bowl of ice cream in fright as Oliver raced over to him.

“We gotta get out of here, go go go!” Oliver shouted, grabbing William and forcing him towards the front door.

The window cashed as a man covered it tattoos burst in. He peeled off playing cards and threw them at Oliver and William. Oliver grabbed William and tackled him to the grounded, saving them both from the playing cards which hit the wall.

“Not so tough without your bow and arrow, are you?” The tattooed man said and Oliver’s eyes widened. 

“Dad,” William said his voice completely terrified.

“It’s gonna be okay William, I promise,” Oliver said as his mind raced on how to get William out of there. 

Star City  
Same time

Diggle was on a fire escape, looking down at Fayad as she got out of a limbo. Diggle’s phone went off and he pulled it out, seeing Felicity’s picture flash across the screen. He pushed decline call before pocketing the phone. He looked back up to continuing watching Fayad before he felt the barrel of a pistol on his neck. Knowing he was had, Diggle put his hands up and seemed to give up as stood to his full height. However, Diggle then turned around; grabbing his would be assailant’s hand and knocking the gun out of it. They exchanged some blows before Diggle grabbed him, slamming is head onto the metal railing to knock him out. However, the noise attracted the attention of Fayad and her security detail. They opened fire on Diggle, who returned fire with his own gun.

Oliver’s apartment  
Same time

Oliver pushed William forward, determined to protect him as he dodged the man’s playing cards. They took cover behind the kitchen counter and Oliver opened the cabinet under the sink.

“You ready to call this?” The tattooed man said as he approached.

Suddenly, Oliver jumped up, now armed with a pistol, and opened fire. The tattooed man jumped out of the way to dodge the bullets as Oliver jumped over the counter and changed. The man threw two more playing cards at Oliver but Oliver dodged them. The pair exchanged a few blows before Oliver grabbed his arm and threw him over him shoulder, taking aim at his chest as the man landed on his back.

“Now you can call it,” Oliver sneered and the man smiled unpleasantly.

“Game’s not over yet,” the man said, reaching before his back. 

But the moment he did, Oliver opened fire but the man rolled out of the way so Oliver got the floor. The man threw two more playing cards at him and got Oliver in the shoulder. Oliver hissed in pain before opening fire and the man jumped to his feet, throwing more playing cards at him.

Star City  
Same time

Fayad and her security detail got in the limo and drove off as Diggle fired after it. But it was no use and Diggle could only swear in frustration as it left.

Oliver apartment  
Same time

Oliver could just barely manage to dodge the playing cards as he tried to land a hit on him. Suddenly, William jumped out from behind the counter, a fire extinguisher in hand. He sprayed the man with it and the man covered his face. 

“William, throw it!” Oliver ordered.

William threw the fire extinguisher and Oliver fired. The bullet hit it and the red container exploded, blinding the tattooed man. Oliver grabbed William and threw him onto is back. William grabbed onto his father as Oliver rushed towards the window. The tattooed man blindly threw a playing card at Oliver as they crashed the window. Oliver winced as the card stuck him in the shoulder but ignored it as he jumped across to the building behind them. Oliver landed on the roof, kneeling down as William got him.

“Dad?” William called as he stared at the card in Oliver’s shoulder.

“I’m fine William. Come on, it’s not safe for us here. We need to move,” Oliver said, standing up and grabbing William’s hand before they ran.

Arrow lair  
Later

“I can’t believe a Meta attacked you two at your home,” Felicity said, cleaning Oliver’s wound as Diggle walked in.

“A Meta?” Diggle asked confused.

“Yeah, turns out Central City is missing one: Jeremy Tell. Cisco said we should call him Double Down, which doesn’t exactly make sense, since he was getting a tattoo when the dark matter wave hit,” Felicity said as she picked up the playing card Oliver had been hit with.

“He attacked us at home,” William piped up.

“At home as in…” Diggle trailed off but Oliver nodded.

“He was looking for Oliver Queen, not the Green Arrow. But he knew who I was John,” Oliver explained.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help out, it couldn’t be helped,” Diggle said and Oliver stared silently.

“Felicity, could you find William a place to sleep? I think we’re gonna be staying here until we deal with this Jeremy Tell,” Oliver asked and Felicity nodded, knowing Oliver wanted to talk with Diggle.

“Sure, come on sweetie,” Felicity said, leading William away after Oliver shot his son a ‘go on’ look.

“Where were you John?” Oliver asked as he stood up.

“It’s a long story,” Diggle repeated.

“No John, it’s a rather simple story. Felicity called you to tell you I was in trouble and you didn’t pick up. I could have died! My son could have died! You’re gonna have to do better than ‘it’s a long story’!” Oliver exploded.

“I couldn’t have been there anyway,” Diggle justified.

“You didn’t know that when you didn’t answer. For all you knew, I could have been out in the field and in trouble,” Oliver snapped and Diggle looked away, knowing Oliver was right. “You know, I thought we could do this. I thought we could hate each other, not trust each other, and still work together. But it’s clear we can’t. Something has to give here John.”

“I’ve spent the last few days trying to make amends, you don’t wanna hear it,” Diggle said defensively.

“After over five months of you making your little comments John. And it isn’t even about what happened with Lyla, this goes deeper,” Oliver said and Diggle was lost. “Tell me John, what am I to you?”

“What?” Diggle asked confused.

“When you asked me to be your best man, you told me I was your brother. Is that we are? Because even before I went undercover, you sure didn’t treat me like one. Roy was my brother. Slade was my brother. Tommy was my brother. Even Barry is more of a brother to me than you. At one point, I knew without any doubt you would have my back, anytime and anywhere. But it’s been a long time since I felt like that. Somewhere along the way, you changed and I barely even recognize you as the man I recruited three years ago. I don’t know who you are anymore John. Something has to give here John, our lives and the city depend on it!” Oliver snapped and Diggle was silent for a moment.

“You think this Meta tonight is connected to Darhk?” Diggle asked and Oliver sighed.

“I don’t know,” Oliver admitted and Diggle nodded.

“You wanna know what I was doing tonight? Well, come on and I’ll show you,” Diggle said as he stood up. 

Oliver eyed him wearily before he nodded. 

Diggle apartment  
Later

“You remember Russia, two years ago when we got Lyla out of that prison? Diggle asked as he led Oliver inside his apartment.

“Of course,” Oliver said, not knowing what that had to do with what was going on.

“That night, Lawton told me my brother was not collateral damage in a hit gone wrong, that he was the target. And that Lawton was hired by an organization called Hive,” Diggle explained and Oliver narrowed his eyes.

“The other week, you reacted when I said Darhk had a Hive or Operatives,” Oliver noted and Diggle ‘mn-hmm’ed. “So, you’ve known this for two years and didn’t come forward when I told you that? So I guess you’re the only one allowed to keep secret, huh?”

“I deserved that,” Diggle admitted as he pulled out a notebook and handed it to Oliver. “But I’m telling you now.”

Oliver opened the book and saw it was full of notes. Turning a page, he saw a newspaper clipping on Andy.

“Last page,” Diggle said and Oliver turned to said page to see a photograph of a woman he didn’t recognize. “That is where I was tonight. That is Mina Fayad. She hired Lawton to kill my brother. I followed her to an alley but she got away from me.”

“Two years and you didn’t tell me this John. I could understand why you kept it quiet before, but when I told you about Darhk…you should have told me John,” Oliver told him.

“I’m telling you now. This is my first legitimate lead, I have to find her,” Diggle told him. 

Arrow lair  
Later

“I hope we’ve learned about the benefits of telling our friends our secrets,” Felicity said as she typed away.

“Oliver already gave me the riot act, so can we just get to work?” Diggle asked annoyed.

“Can you find her?” Oliver inquired.

“Nope. She’s not coming up on any of our traffic or security cams,” Felicity said to Diggle disappointment. “But I think I have the next best thing. Her cell phone or at least the one that followed her through airport security on the way to Star City.”

“Where’s her phone now?” Diggle inquired.

“Redman and Eight,” Felicity told them.

“Let’s go John,” Oliver said and Diggle nodded.

Star City  
Later 

“I’m still getting a ping off Ms. Fayad’s cell phone, ten feet ahead,” Felicity told Green Arrow and Spartan over the comms.

The pair rounded a corner and stopped in shock. Fayad was tied to a chair, obviously dead. They approached her, noting she had a playing card sticking out of her mouth.

“John…” Oliver trailed off, not knowing what to say as Diggle took off his helmet and stared.

“This was my first chance for answers Oliver,” Diggle said in frustration. “My last chance.”

“I’m sorry,” Oliver said, not knowing what else to say.

“Don’t be Oliver. This isn’t your fault, it’s mine. I should have told you about Hive long before now. You and Felicity. Because that’s where it started,” Diggle said and Oliver was confused. “You’re right; I haven’t been a brother to you. And it all started when I didn’t trust you with this. And for that, I am sorry. Everything that’s gone down between us…it’s on me.”

“I have some blame in it to. I could have talked to you about it instead of letting it build up to this point,” Oliver acknowledged. “And this wasn’t your last chance. We’re gonna get answers John.”

“I haven’t been able to get answers in more than two years!” Diggle exploded.

“For more than two years, you’ve been doing this alone,” Oliver said and Diggle looked at him gratefully.

Palmer Tech  
Slightly later 

Felicity and Curtis just barely dodged the playing card as Double Down stared them down.

“First person to tell me where I can find Oliver Queen gets to live,” He told them.

“I have a better idea, run!” Felicity shouted, pushing Curtis. 

They ran to the other side, pushing a shelf down to block his path before Felicity opened the elevator. She pushed Curtis and got in barely before the elevator door closed and Double Down threw a playing card in.

“Ms. Smoak, what is going on?” Curtis demanded as the elevator began going down.

“It’s complicated, but the short version is I work for the Green Arrow,” Felicity babbled.

“Who is Oliver Queen,” Curtis realized.

“I didn’t say that,” Felicity quickly tried to cover.

“But that guy was looking for Oliver Queen, who you used to date,” Curtis argued.

“I don’t know why he’s looking for Oliver, but the point is he’s trying to kill us. This elevator is taking us to the only safe place,” Felicity told him.

“The lobby?” Curtis guessed.

“Not exactly,” Felicity said as the elevator doors opened up.

They stepped out, Curtis looking around the lair in complete awe.

“You have a hidden floor,” Curtis said shocked as William walked in.

“Felicity, who is this?” William asked as Curtis looked over at him.

“I was about to ask the same question,” Curtis said as he looked at the young boy in surprise.

“Curtis, William, William, Curtis. William, go hide, now,” Felicity said as she grabbed a rifle off one of the shelves. “We should be safe down here but just in case.”

At that moment, Double Down came into the room and threw a playing card at them. Felicity and Curtis dodged it before Felicity grabbing William, dragging the three of them behind a shelf. 

“I think I know where I can find Oliver Queen,” Double Down said as he looked around. “I guess that offer of not killing you is off the table. Except for the kid. He’ll make a great hostage.”

Suddenly, an arrow hit the floor behind him and exploded. Double Down went flying into the wall as Green Arrow, bow notched, and Spartan, pistols out, burst in, aiming their weapons at Double Down.

“You’ve got a lot of nerve coming down here,” Green Arrow snarled.

“Threatening a kid? You just crossed a line you son of a bitch,” Spartan growled as Double Down got to his feet.

“Suppose it’s too late to call it a draw?” Double Down asked.

“Tell us about your employer and we’ll see,” Green Arrow snarled and Double Down chuckled.

“The thing is, you don’t scare me half as much as he does,” Double Down said before throwing two playing cards at them. 

Spartan dodged as Green Arrow used his bow to deflect them. Green Arrow then fired an arrow, which exploded into cables that wrapped around Double Down, holding him so he couldn’t peel off any of his tattoos anymore.

“And how do you know who I am? Tell me!” Green Arrow snarled.

“Like I told you, you don’t scare me half as much as he does,” Double Down said, peeling off a tattoo near his wrist.

“Dad look out!” William shouted as Double Down threw it at Green Arrow.

Before the archer could react, Spartan jumped in front of him, the card in to the shoulder. As his teammate went down, the archer was filled with rage. The archer rushed forward and slugged Double Down hard enough to knock him out. As the Meta went down, Felicity rushed out from behind the shelf and rushed to Spartan as Green Arrow knelt down next to his teammate.

“You okay?” The archer asked as he helped Spartan stand.

“Fine, Kevlar held,” Spartan said.

“You saved me,” Green Arrow noted.

“Nothing you couldn’t handle, but yeah. I’ve got your back,” Spartan said as he looked over at Green Arrow, who got the message loud and clear. 

Argus hideout  
Later

“He won’t be getting out of there anytime soon,” Lyla assured Oliver, Diggle, and Felicity after Double Down was put in his cell.

“He knows something about Hive,” Oliver noted and Diggle looked over at him.

“What makes you say that?” Diggle asked.

“He makes a failed attempt to kill me and less than three hours later, Fayad ends up dead. It’s too much of a coincidence to not be connected,” Oliver noted.

“You think he was working with her?” Felicity asked and Oliver nodded.

“Which brings us to another problem. Mr. Tell was after Oliver Queen, not The Green Arrow. But he knew they were the same person. Someone had to tell him,” Oliver noted and his thoughts on the matter were clear.

“You think someone in Hive knows who you are,” Diggle said and Oliver nodded.

“But how is that possible?” Lyla asked.

“When White had William, she told me she was working for someone. I never found out who, but what if the person who she was working for…was connected to Hive?” Oliver said.

“They would know who you are,” Felicity realized.

“They could know who we all are,” Oliver said grimly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you were to ever point out a specific instance where things changed between Oliver and Diggle, it has to be the Russia episode in season two. That was last time they really felt like brothers and I think it has to do with Diggle keeping Hive a secret. I think that was the beginning of the end for him and his relationship with Oliver.
> 
> Felicity wildly shooting a gun making Double Down run off was stupid. I mean, I know it was mostly dumb luck, but come on! So for the sake of the story, Oliver and Diggle got back a lot quicker than they did in canon.


	6. Bad cops

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver makes a surprising announcement as they discover a conspiracy within the police.

Argus safe house  
Morning

“How long do we have to stay here?” William asked as Oliver got him ready for school.

“Until I know it’s safe for us to go home,” Oliver told him, kneeling down to William’s level. “I’m gonna try and get us home as quick as I can, okay? In the meantime, I’m gonna make sure you have as normal a life as possible. Lyla has a few operatives acting as school security and she has a few more watching the school. You’ll be safe, okay?”

“Okay,” William said, not completely happy but understanding.

Star City  
Later in the morning

“Did Ollie tell any of you what we were doing here?” Thea asked as she, Laurel, Diggle, and Felicity stood in Sabastian Blood’s old campaign office.

“No,” Diggle said simply.

“All I got was a text saying he had some big announcement,” Felicity said as Oliver walked in.

“So, what is this big announcement Ollie? And why are you telling us here?” Thea asked as she gestured to the dust filled building.

Do you remember this building?” Oliver asked.

“Yes, it was Sabastian Blood’s campaign office,” Laurel remembered.

“And now it’s mine,” Oliver said and they all shot him stunned looks. “Everyone who’s qualified is too scared to run and rightfully so. But I can defend myself. So, I’m running for mayor.”

Thea laughed and Oliver frowned.

“Don’t everyone congratulate me at once,” Oliver said sarcastically.

“Oh you’re serious?” Diggle asked surprised. 

“Yes! The other week, Lance was saying that the city needs someone to stand up who isn’t hiding behind a mask. It needs a leader,” Oliver told them.

“But why does that person have to be you?” Diggle interjected. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, but you’re not a politician.”

“Maybe that’s the best reason for me to be elected,” Oliver argued back.

“Oliver, what are you gonna do for a staff or a campaign manager or money?” Felicity inquired. 

“I have the money handled. I can take out enough from my savings to kick start the campaign. As for the rest, ‘ll figure it out,” Oliver said confidently.

“What platform are you gonna run under?” Diggle inquired.

“I’ll figure it out,” Oliver repeated.

“What exactly qualifies you to be mayor?” Thea asked.

“I care about the city,” Oliver said beginning to get annoyed.

“Guys,” Laurel, who had been quiet up to now, finally spoke up. “I think Oliver needs more of our support and less interrogating.”

As the others had the sense to look sheepish, Oliver turned to the wall.

“Maybe you’ll be more excited about the other announcement,” Oliver said gruffly and they had the sense to look a little guilty.

The rest of the team followed him as Oliver pushes something on the wall. They watched in amazement as part of the wall slide away to reveal an elevator.

“For real?” Thea asked as they all got inside.

“There’s a reason I bought Blood’s campaign office,” Oliver said once the doors closed. “Like Verdant was once a cover for my lair, the office was a cover for his.”

The doors opened up, revealing a dark room. Oliver led them inside and pulled out a remote. He pushed a button and the lights came on, the others looking around in complete amazement. 

“Oliver, how did you…” Diggle isn’t even able to finish as he takes it all in.

“How did you do this all by yourself?” Laurel finishes for him. 

“I had help. From Cisco and Star Labs,” Oliver explained, leading them over to a case with all their suits in it. “Four polycarbonate cases, each keyed to our own biometrics.”

“Wow,” Diggle looked around stunned, “Oliver this is amazing!”

“Well, when I set up shop in the foundry, it was just me. That’s not the case anymore, so I figured we could use a little more space,” Oliver explained.

“What’s that?” Laurel asked as the computers beeped and Felicity did what was instinct by now, went to the computers.

“It’s a program Cisco helped me set up. Basically, we tap into the police services so that when anything happens in the city, we’ll know,” Oliver explained as Felicity appeared to be having trouble with the chair. “You alright?”

“Yeah, just not used to this chair yet,” Felicity said as she got a handle on it. “Two polices officers found shot to death responding to a code three. No record of them calling dispatch for backup.”

“Which means either their comms failed or they were ambushed the moment they arrived on the scene,” Oliver noted.

“Thea and I will do recon, see if there’s anything CSI missed at the crime scene,” Diggle said before he and Thea moved out.

“I’ll talk to Lance,” Oliver said as he began to move out.

“Maybe skip the part about running for mayor, because I’m pretty sure you’re not gonna have his vote,” Laurel pointed out.

“Am I supposed to care?” Oliver asked and Laurel sighed.

“When are you two gonna stop holding a grudge against each other?” Laurel asked.

“When hell freezes over, he accepts responsibility for Roy, and Sara rises from the dead,” Oliver said and Laurel looked away awkwardly as he walked out.

Star City Police Department  
Slightly later

“You spend more time here now than when you were getting collared for hitting paparazzi,” Quentin said as he turned around and saw Oliver behind him.

“You have a moment for me?” Oliver asked and Quentin sighed before leading Oliver into his office.

“So is this gonna be a weekly thing?” Quentin inquired.

“I heard about the officers getting gunned down. I was hoping to help,” Oliver said and Quentin sighed.

“Well, I’ve gotta catch a cop killer and I don’t have time to wait around for my understaffed crime lab,” Quentin said as he handed the evidence bag to Oliver. “This is what we got from the crime scene. See what you can do.”

New Arrow lair  
Afternoon

“Lance gave us the SIM card recovered from the crime scene,” Oliver said as Felicity walked in.

“Where’s Laurel?” Felicity asked, noticing the absence of the other blond as she took the SIM card.

“She said she had something she needed to deal with,” Thea said and Felicity nodded as she sat down.

“Well, this isn’t from a cell phone. It’s from a walkie it looks like, a walkie with GPS,” Felicity explained.

“GPS as in we can track it?” Diggle demanded.

“As in I can figure out where it’s been and triangulate from there. Got it,” Felicity said as they saw a red dot come up on the computer that read ‘warehouse’.

“Gear up,” Oliver ordered.

Warehouse  
Night 

“Fifth floor is clear,” Green Arrow said over the comms.

“This place is completely empty,” Speedy told him.

“I think I’ve found something, third floor,” Spartan warned them.

“Headed your way,” Green Arrow told him.

It didn’t take the two archers long to reach him. Spartan was standing in front of a door when they reached him.

“Every door in this place is opened or locked. Except for this one,” Spartan explained.

Nodding, Green Arrow kicked the door open and they entered cautiously as they drew their weapons. No one was there, but it wasn’t empty. There was a rank of clothes and some cabinets full of weapons. The trio moved about and started checking it all out.

“Clear,” Spartan said as they lowered their weapons.

“It’s not empty,” Green Arrow noted.

“M4s, Kevlar, Flash grenades. Some of this stuff is military grade,” Spartan noted disturbed as they began looking through it.

“Do you think we found The Ghosts’ armory?” Speedy asked but Green Arrow shook his head.

“No,” he said as he pulled a vest of the clothes rake and showed them the logo that was on it. “Star City Police Department. Whoever killed those detectives were police officers.”

Elsewhere in Star City  
Same time

“Alright, I’ll bite. What are we doing down here?” Quentin asked as Laurel led him into the basement of her old apartment.

“It’s better if I just show you,” Laurel said as she turned on the lights. “After what happened between us last year, I swore I would never keep secrets from you again, especially when it has to do with our family.”

“Family?” Quentin repeated.

They rounded the corner and Quentin stepped back in shock as his daughter Sara lunged at him savagely, acting like an animal. Quentin stared at his feral daughter in shock.

“How-how is this even possible?” Quentin asked once he found his voice.

“The League of Assassins. They have something called the Lazarus Pit; it can bring someone back from the dead,” Laurel explained.

“Back from-Laurel, look at her. This isn’t back Laurel. This is-this isn’t my baby,” Quentin muttered horrified.

“She’s alive dad, your daughter is alive,” Laurel insisted.

“This isn’t my daughter,” Quentin muttered as he saw Sara struggle.

“Daddy, it is. She’s just been gone for a really long time. She’ll remember who she is, we just have to be patient, we’ll help her find her way,” Laurel attempted to convince him.

Laurel walked forward and sat down in front of her sister. Sara simply stared at Laurel, no recognition on her face. Laurel pulled out a picture of the three of them before she attempted to speak.

“Do you remember me? I’m Laurel, your sister. See?” Laurel asked as she held up the picture. “This is me and this is you. And who’s that, is that daddy? We’re your family, we love you?”

“Who am I?” Sara asked in a hollow tone.

Smiling, Laurel turns around to see a similar smile on her father’s face.

“You see, she’s speaking because she’s remembering,” Laurel told him.

In the next moment, the smile was wiped off both their faces. Sara lunged for her, putting the chains over Laurel’s throat and choking her. Quentin quickly rushed forward and pried Sara off Laurel before dragging his eldest a safe distance away.

“You okay?” Quentin asked concerned.

“Yeah, she just needs more time dad,” Laurel said but the denial sounded weak even to her own ears.

New Arrow lair  
Same time

“I think you better add ‘get an entirely new police force’ to your campaign,” Felicity told Oliver.

“It’s not the entire force, just a few bad eggs. But you’re right, we don’t know who’s been compromised,” Oliver noted.

“Except Captain Lance,” Thea pointed out.

“Well, he’s MIA right now,” Diggle pointed out.

“And even then, do any of us really trust him after last year?” Oliver asked and it was silent for a minute. “It’s safe to assume all the help we’re gonna get is right here in this room.”

“I’m working on something. Over the last few months, there’s been a huge spike in gang stealing drug shipments from other gangs,” Felicity explained.

“But it’s not gangs, it’s these bad cops,” Diggle realized.

“Who steal the drugs to sell them back to the gangs they stole them from,” Felicity added.

“These cops are taking down big drug scores, so let’s give them one,” Oliver ordered.

“How?” Thea asked confused.

“That depends on how close you are with your former drug dealer,” Oliver said.

“Which one?” Thea joked and Oliver managed to repress his wince.

“I hope you appreciate the money I’m about to give you,” Oliver grumbled.

Star City Police Department  
Later

Quentin was at his desk, looking at a picture of Sara and Laurel when the door to his office opened. Looking up, Quentin almost groaned in displeasure as Oliver closed the door behind him.

“I’ve been trying to get in touch with you,” Oliver said as he sat down.

“I’ve been busy, what do you want?” Quentin demanded.

“Your detectives weren’t killed by gang violence, they were killed by cops,” Oliver said bluntly and Quentin looked at him sharply.

“What are you talking about?” Quentin growled.

“The SIMs card you gave us, it led us to the killers’ armory and the equipment, the weapons, it was all SCPD issued,” Oliver explained and Quentin shook his head in shock.

“Who is it?” Quentin asked.

“It could be anyone in the department. These guys have been taking down drug busts, so Thea’s procuring a couple of kilos of cocaine,” Oliver said and Quentin scoffed. “We’re keeping it in a warehouse on Meldrum. I need you to subtly get the word out.

“Alright,” Quentin said as Oliver stood up. “Wait. Listen, I want to be there when they show.”

“And why would I do that?” Oliver asked as he eyed Quentin carefully. 

“Because we may not trust each other, but neither of us want bad cops in this precinct. And if there are, I’m gonna be there to bust ‘em,” Quentin said as he stood up.

Oliver eyed him carefully for a moment longer before he nodded. 

“Just know, I’ll be watching you every second,” Oliver warned him and Quentin nodded.

“And I’ll be watching you,” Quentin warned him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know not a whole lot happened differently than in the show here, but next chapter e will get some significant differences to the show, particularly the argument between Oliver and Quentin and the fight between Team Arrow and the cops.


	7. Quentin's secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver discovers the truth of Quentin's involvement with Darhk as they continue to investigate the corrupt officers.

Star City  
Night

“Heads up, I’m reading a truck closing in on your position. The make matches the profile for an ESU Strike Vehicle,” Felicity said over the comms as they were all in position.

“Copy, we’re ready,” Green Arrow told her.

He stepped out onto his vantage point, Black Canary beside him. Thea and Diggle were in position, as was Quentin. The archer tapped the comms in his suit.

“Captain Lance-”

“What, I don’t get a code name like the rest of you?” Quentin quipped and Green Arrow sighed.

“Detective, get ready,” he ordered.

“Target’s on sight,” Diggle said as the truck rolled in. “Let’s go.”

Before the truck even reached them, there were suddenly two blasts of sparks and the sound of gunfire pierced the air.

“We’ve got multiple tangos, move!” Diggle barked as he and Thea took cover.

Quentin opened fire as Green Arrow fired off an arrow with a line. He used it to get himself and Black Canary onto the roof of the truck that rolled in as several people in SCPD gear were firing at his team. He jumped off as Black Canary tried to use her Canary Cry. However, one of the individuals turned and used a strange device. To her shock, Black Canary’s cry no longer worked. Green Arrow rushed the man with the device and there was a brief scuffle. However, Green Arrow kneed him in the chest, grabbed him, and slammed him into the side of the armored car. He went down, out cold. As Thea and Diggle each engaged one of the people in black, Black Canary was knocked down. Green Arrow notched a bow as the one who knocked Laurel down pulled out a strange wrist mounted blade. He fired at her, twice, but she cut his arrows down before they hit her. However, his third shot got her in the shoulder but she didn’t go down.

Thea was thrown into some crates and Green arrow stopped to check on her. This gave the men and women in black the opportunity to get in the truck and escape. They picked up the officer Oliver had knocked out and drove off in reverse as the truck with the drugs drove off, despite Quentin firing at them. Once the trucks were gone, the team assembled as Quentin raced up to them.

“You okay?” Diggle asked.

“The equipment, the training, those were cops,” Quentin said out of breath and clearly angry. “And on, I’m not okay.” 

Old Arrow lair  
Later

“Why did you want to meet here instead of the new lair?” Felicity asked before she saw Quentin walk in. “Oh.”

“Don’t worry, I got enough to put you away for twenty five years,” Quentin quipped and shrugged at Oliver and Laurel’s glares. “Just kidding.”

“For once, he’s not the police we should be worried about. These cops, they have equipment that isn’t standard SCPD issued,” Oliver told Felicity.

“They were police issued alright, just not standard,” Quentin said and everyone looked at him. “Those were specialized Anti-Vigilante Task Force gear.”

“I thought you disbanded the task force over a year ago,” Oliver told him.

“I did but when everything I went down, I um, reinstated it,” Quentin said sheepishly and Oliver rolled his eyes.

“Of course you did,” Thea said sarcastically.

“How many officers?” Oliver demanded.

“Forty or so,” Quentin said.

“Well, that narrows things down a bit,” Laurel noted. 

“Check their conduct records, maybe that will narrow it down a bit more,” Oliver ordered.

“I can give you unrestricted access to the department’s computer network, might speed things up a little,” Quentin offered and Felicity noddedas Quentin turned around and began to make his way out. “I’ll see what I can dig up at the precinct.”

“We’re sure we trust him?” Thea asked and Laurel shot her a look. “What?”

“It’s a valid question Laurel and you know it. After what happened with Roy, how he tried to use Roy to leverage Oliver into turning himself in or to make us do it, can any of us really trust him again?” Diggle wondered.

“We can trust that he wants these bad cops caught as much as we do,” Oliver said confidently. “After that…only time will tell.”

New Arrow lair  
Later 

“I’m gonna be late tonight buddy,” Oliver said as he talked with William over the phone.

“More bad guys?” William asked glumly.

“Something like that. I’ll be home later, I promise. How was school?” Oliver asked.

“Fine. I gotta study for a test. I’ll see you tomorrow,” William said before he hung up on Oliver.

Oliver lowered his phone, sighing as Felicity walked in, a file in hand.

“You okay?” Felicity asked.

“Not really. What’s that?” Oliver asked as he noticed the files.

“I think I got a hit on our bad cops,” Felicity said as she handed him the file.

“Liza Werner, one of the original picks for the task force three years ago,” Oliver said as he opened the file.

“Picked by then Detective Lance,” Felicity added as they made their way to the computers.

“You think she’s a suspect?” Oliver asked.

“Well, she’s deposited over a quarter of a million dollars into offshore accounts in the last three months,” Felicity said and Oliver nodded.

“Where can we find her?”

“Working on that. I used the network access Captain Lance gave us and I turned on every uniform and squad car camera on the force,” Felicity said as she brought up the footage from various cameras. “I’m also running facial recognition, looking for Werner.”

Oliver opened his mouth to speak but stopped, paling as he saw something. Felicity looked over and noticed the look on his face he usually had when he found out something that both enraged him and upset him at the same time.

“You see something?”

“Someone. Pause, zoom in,” Oliver ordered, gesturing to the shot he wanted.

Felicity did as he said and brought up a picture of Quentin speaking to a familiar man.

“The man that Lance is talking to…that’s Damien Darhk,” Oliver told her and Felicity was shocked.

“Maybe he doesn’t know?” Felicity said hopefully.

“Darhk interrupted City leadership and told them to let the city die. He knows,” Oliver said as he turned to walk out.

“Oliver, where are you going?” felicity asked.

“To have a talk with Captain Lance,” Oliver said in a voice filled with barely restrained rage. 

Quentin’s apartment  
Later

Quentin walked into his apartment and turned on the light. He nearly jumped when he saw Oliver sitting on his couch.

“You know I gotta heart condition right?” Quentin asked annoyed.

“For years you’ve looked at me with such contempt, utter distain. So I’m wondering…do I have that same look on my face now?” Oliver asked with a stony voice.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Quentin demanded.

“I’m talking about you, working with Damien Darhk,” Oliver said bluntly.

Quentin was thrown, wondering how he knew this. Then, he sighed, sitting down in a chair.

“Look, it’s-it’s complicated,” Quentin tried to explain.

“No it’s not, it’s simple. Do you have any idea how many people he’s killed?” Oliver demanded.

“I probably have a better idea than you. And listen, you, you of all people don’t get to come into my house and pass judgement on me alright?!” Quentin snarled.

“You always held yourself up as better than me. More righteous. How long had this been going on Captain?” Oliver snapped.

“A little more than two months now,” Quentin admitted. “It started out benign. He said he had resources, people, money, he held himself out as just another guy who wanted to help this city, and we needed help. By the time I figured out who he was, what he was! That’s when he threatened Laurel.”

“And you didn’t think we’d understand? That I, of all people, would not understand what it was like to have your child in the crosshairs of a psychopath?” Oliver demanded angrily. “We have access to the help of a government agency called Argus. We could’ve helped you if you’d just come to us. But you didn’t.”

“I couldn’t take that chance-” Quentin started.

“Stop it!” Oliver snarled as he got to his feet. “Stop using Laurel as an excuse! I’ve been where you are, I’ve had my child used as leverage against me! But I didn’t go along quietly; I did everything in my power to get my child to safety! You, you just went along quietly! What, were you just gonna do nothing until Darhk controlled the city? Huh?!”

“I did what I had to do to protect my child!” Quentin snarled.

“And that is the same logic my mother used to justify throwing in with Malcolm Merlyn!” Oliver snarled and Quentin reeled back. “For all your self-righteousness and bluster, you…you are no better than my mother. Or my father.”

Oliver walked passed Quentin, making his way to the door.

“What are you gonna do?” Quentin asked and Oliver paused.

“I don’t know,” Oliver admitted before he opened the door and walked out, closing the door behind him. 

Argus safe house  
Later

Oliver looked in on William, sleeping in his bed, before he quietly closed the door behind him. Hearing something from the kitchen, Oliver tensed. Oliver cautiously moved throughout the house, grabbing a knife off a table. He rounded the corner and saw Thea pulling out a beer.

“Well, hello to you to,” Thea said as she took a drink and Oliver sighed.

“Sorry, a little tense,” Oliver said as he put the knife on the table.

“You okay? Felicity said you were upset about something,” Thea asked and Oliver shrugged.

“Just thinking. Do you remember the Sentinels games we went to as kids, Paps’ stadium?” Oliver and Thea chuckled.

“Yeah, I loved the popcorn,” Thea remembered fondly. 

“Every time those players hit a homer, every single person in that stadium stood and cheered. Every single one. United,” Oliver remembered. “I wanted to run for mayor because I wanted to be leader of that city. I wanted to raise my son in that city.”

“Wanted?” Thea noted the use of past tense.

“Thea, I don’t know if that city exists anymore. I think it might be beyond saving. I think the city…might be beyond redemption,” Oliver sighed.

“So what are you saying?” Thea asked uncertainly.

“That I don’t have to run for mayor,” Oliver said tiredly. 

Elsewhere in Star City  
Same time

Quentin walked down into the basement where Laurel was keeping Sara. Seeing his daughter rocking back and forth, Quentin closed his eyes, mentally cursing Laurel and Darhk for putting him in this position. Quentin pulled out his pistol and, with shaking hands, aimed it at Sara.

“I’m sorry baby but you’re not her,” Quentin said with a trembling voice. “You’re not her.”

It was at this moment that Laurel came upon the scene and stared in shock.

“Dad? Dad, what the hell are you doing?” Laurel demanded.

“I’ve done what I’ve had to do. You have no idea what terrible things I’ve had to do for the both for you!” Quentin said with trembling hands.

“No, you are not going to kill your own daughter,” Laurel all but begged.

“She’s not my daughter!” Quentin said his voice trembling.

Sara looked up at him and Quentin broke down. He fell to his knees sobbing and Laurel, despite her anger at him, couldn’t help but kneel down and hug him. 

“It’s okay daddy, it’s okay,” Laurel said as he sobbed.

“I’m sorry baby, I’m sorry,” Quentin said before standing up and rushing out.

Quentin rushed up the stairs and through the doors. He suddenly found himself face to face with Liza Werner and some other officers.

“Captain Lance,” Werner greeted calmly and Quentin paused.

“Liza, what-what are you doing here?” Quentin asked as he gained control of himself.

“Heard you were looking for me. Thought I’d make it easy for you,” Werner told him.

Quentin didn’t know what she was talking about until he was grabbed from behind by two officers. Quentin fought back but he was restrained and Werner slugged him hard, knocking him out. They were dragging him out when Laurel walked out of the basement.

“Dad? Dad!” Laurel shouted as she raced after them.

One of the men stalled her but Laurel easily gained the upper hand, knocking him to the ground. However, another came up behind ern ad shocked her with a Taser. Laurel went down to the ground, disoriented as the two men stood and walked after the rest of the unit.

Arrow lair  
Later

“What do we know?” Oliver asked as he walked in.

“Liza Werner and her posse took Lance outside Laurel’s apartment,” Diggle explained. 

“We need to find my father,” Laurel said worriedly.

“We will,” Oliver said as he put a hand on her shoulder. “Your father may not be my favorite person right now, but I won’t let him die. I promise.”

“I think I have something. Captain Lance’s ID was used to access the SCPD contraband facility three minutes ago,” Felicity told them and they immediately began to move out.

SCPD contraband facility  
Not long after

Werner’s men were loading the drugs into the truck when Black Canary walked up behind them. They turned and tried to use the same device n her as before but this time it didn’t work. She screamed and they were sent back into the truck, dazed and disoriented.

“Different frequency, same cry,” She said confidently.

Werner and another officer were getting ready to leave when an arrow hit the other officer in the shoulder. He went down as Werner looked up to see Green Arrow standing on a ledge, aiming an arrow at her.

“Sergeant Werner, you have failed this city,” He said before firing.

However, Werner raised her hand and deflected the arrow with the blade from before.

“That all you got? She asked bored.

Green Arrow jumped to the ground and stood up.

“Not even close,” He said before firing another arrow.

However, this one exploded into iron cables, which wrapped around Werner and pinned her to a fence. Green Arrow walked into another part of the facility and saw Quentin handcuffed to a pole. He pulled out another arrow and fired, freeing Quentin from his handcuffs. He removed the rest of the cuffs as the archer stared at him stonily. 

“Get out of here,” He said coldly.

Quentin sighed and turned to leave when Green Arrow felt something behind him move. He turned around, whirling his bow and knocked the knife that Werner had used to free herself and then thrown at him. The Archer rushed the rogue cop, whirling his bow like an escirma stick. He slugged her and as she stumbled back, he put her in a neck lock, preparing to end it.

“Don’t,” Quentin said and the archer paused. “Don’t kill her. You’re not a killer.”

“We both know that’s not true,” He growled. 

“That’s who you were, not who you are now. The guy I’m seeing now bears very little resemblance to who you were. You kill her, you undo all you’ve become,” Quentin tried to reason with him.

“The things I have done, there is…no redemption for me,” Oliver said.

“Only if you believe so. We’ve all done terrible things, things that…no apology can make right. But I gotta believe we are not beyond redemption. I gotta believe this city can still be saved because when we stop believing in that, that’s when this city dies. And us, us right along with it. And maybe, just maybe, we start saving our home by saving ourselves first. You said you believed this city could be saved. Tell me, is that still the case?” Quentin asked and the archer was silent.

 

Then, the archer pushed Werner forward, letting her go. She fell to the ground, gasping for breath as Quentin walked over.

“I guess you know your Miranda Rights,” Quentin said before he put Werner in cuffs and walked off with her.

Quentin’s apartment  
Later 

Quentin walked into his apartment and was hardly surprised to see Oliver there.

“You got your own key or something?” Quentin quipped.

“What you said to me…it stopped me form taking a serious step backwards,” Oliver said and Quentin shrugged.

“I don’t do encores,” Quentin quipped as he sat down.

“Do you believe what you said?” Oliver inquired.

“Yeah, I do. Especially the part about facing justice. When one Police Plaza opens, I will be turning myself in,” Quentin promised.

“I can’t have you do that,” Oliver said and Quentin looked up at him curiously. “We haven’t been able to get close to Darhk, you have. I’d like you to stick around, work on the inside.”

“Wow,” Quentin breathed as he stood up. “Well, that’s only a smart plan if you can trust me.”

“I trust the man who said we can’t stop believing we can save this city.” Oliver said as he held out his hand to Quentin.

Quentin stared at it silently for a moment before he took it.

Oliver's campaign office, next day  
Morning

Oliver walked in and was thrown by all the people there. Even more so when they saw him and broke into applause.

“Um, Hi. Thank you, it's ab-absolutely wonderful that you're all here. And surprising," Oliver said that last part to Thea as he reached her.

"So, what do you think?" Thea said cheekily as he reached her.

"Did you hire all of these people?" Oliver asked as he led Thea into his office.

"No, that's what makes them interns Ollie," Thea told him and he frowned.

"How'd you get all these interns?" Oliver asked confused.

"Best way to get a lot if followers on social media is to own a very successful club. All I had to do is tell them what I've known for the last three years: Oliver Queen is gonna save this city," Thea said as she handed him a card.

"What's this?" Oliver asked as he began to read it.

"Your speech." Thea said and Oliver blinked. “You’re announcing your candidacy this afternoon, so you better get your suit out of moth balls.”

“I wrote it down. I just went with what you told me, about this city being united, about wanting William to grow up in that city,” Thea said and Oliver chuckled.

“United. That's what this city used to be. It's what it can be and it's what must be again," Oliver began as the cameras started rolling. "I know I'm not the obvious choice for Mayor. I'm not a politician, I signed away my family's company, I didn't even finish college. Although, it my defense, I did go to four of them," Oliver joked and there was a slight snicker from around the room. "I certainly don't have a traditional background in leadership but what I can tell you is this: after five years in hell, I returned home with one goal. I wanted to save my city. And with your help, I can. With your help, we can restore this city to the shinning beacon we know it can be. How we're gonna get there isn't a mystery. We will overcome our challenged with help from our friends, our families, our loved ones, those we trust and those we need to trust again because the only way we will return our city to greatness is together. United."

The crowd erupted into applause and cheers.

Star City  
Afternoon

“Where are we going?” William asked as Oliver drove the car after picking him up.

“Well, I know it’s not fair of me to keep taking you back to an Argus safe house. You need stability, which admittedly is something I don’t really have and don’t know how to give you. But, I’m trying my best here,” Oliver said as he pulled in front of a garage.

The garage opened up and Oliver drove it. William’s annoyed expression turned into one of awe as Oliver pulled into the new Arrow lair. 

“This is my new hideout. There’s a cot in it. If it’s alright with you, we’re gonna stay here until we deal with Hive. Sound good to you?” Oliver asked as he looked back at William. 

“Cool,” William said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was honestly at this point we knew Oliver had lost all fighting ability. Oliver, the guy trained by Ra’s al Ghul and Slade Wilson, loses to a cop? Right.


	8. Sara

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver learns of Laurel and Thea's Sara sized secret as she goes on a rampage through the city.

Oliver’s campaign office  
Night

“Sorry for the wait,” Oliver said, walking into his office where Thea and a man he didn’t recognize were waiting.

“Ollie, this is Alex Davis, the new political strategist that Walter recommended,” Thea said as Oliver and Alex shook hands. 

“Old enough to vote Alex?” Oliver joked and Thea rolled her eyes.

“I owned a bar and I wasn’t even old enough to drink,” Thea pointed out.

“I am old enough to do both,” Alex assured Oliver.

“Well, I’m glad that you’re joining the team, but I don’t entirely know why I need a political strategist,” Oliver said as they all sat down.

“Well, I guess the question is do you want to take office with ten percent of the vote of ninety? After you win, you still need to be able to govern,” Alex told him.

“What has you concerned? My lack of experience?” Oliver asked sarcastically.

“No, we can spin that. No, I’m talking about the skeletons in the closet that can cripple you your first day in office. Your person Chappaquiddick,” Alex said to the confusion of the siblings.

“What?” Oliver asked in confusion and Alex chuckled.

“It was scandal involving a can’t-lose candidate whose campaign fell apart when he was caught having an affair after his vehicle went underwater and the girl he was with drowned. Sound familiar Alex asked as Thea shot her brother a look.

“You’re referring to the Queen’s Gambit and Sara Lance,” Oliver said dryly.

“You’re about to do your first on-air sit down, right? Bethany Snow? Ten’ll get you fifty she’ll bring up Sara Lance and her sister,” Alex said and Oliver sighed.

“Alex, with all due respect, don’t you think the bigger issue will be my son from an unwed mother?” Oliver asked pointedly. 

“We can spin that as a man taking responsibility for his youthful mistakes. You want this city united? You can’t do it as the rick kid playboy from the tabloids. And like it or not, Laurel Lance is a constant reminder of that. So from this day forward, anyone brings her up, you distance yourself from her,” Alex said and Oliver looked away, clearly dissatisfied. 

Arrow lair  
Later

"Whatever the spa did to you, it also improved your technique," Oliver noted as he and Thea sparred with the escrima sticks. "You're effortless."

"Well, you know how I like my hot stone massages," Thea quipped as Oliver chuckled.

"By the way, the political strategist was a good call," Oliver said.

"But his advice was a little harsh," Thea said as Oliver nodded.

"It was, and completely ridiculous."

"So, you're not gonna kick Laurel to the curb?" Thea asked, smiling.

“I don’t know. Laurel and I are…complicated. Sometimes I think we’re getting back on track, and others I feel like she’s pulling away. And...do you ever get the feeling she’s keeping something from you?” Oliver asked and Thea looked away.

“No, of course not,” Thea said as guilt gnawed at her insides. 

“Hey, we’ve got a problem,” Felicity said over the PA system. “Code forty-seven at a nightclub on ninth. A blond woman going cray cray.”

“The woman who’s been killing people in Pennytown. Suit up,” Oliver ordered as he looked over at Thea.

Star City  
Not long after

It was chaos as Green Arrow and Speedy arrived on the scene. People, clearly panicked, were running for their lives. Spotting Black Canary on the ground, the blonde no doubt responsible for the trouble standing over her with one of Black Canary’s batons in her hand, he fired an arrow at her. It knocked the baton out of her hand and she turned around, a snarl on her face. The archer lowered his bow in shock as he saw who it was.

“Sara?” He asked stunned.

Sara snarled before she turned and ran off into the night, leaving the three vigilantes staring after her.

Arrow lair  
Later

“Your sister’s alive, she’s out there, and she’s hurting people,” Oliver said as he turned around to face Laurel and Thea, his sister having a guilty look on her face. “How is she alive? Lazarus Pit? Did you two spend your spa weekend in Nanda Parbat?”

“It was the only place we could get a reservation?” Thea joked weakly but shopped when Oliver shot her an unamused look.

“The Bloodlust is worse because you brought her back from the dead?” Oliver asked.

“And that’s not the only problem. Sara’s not herself, she’s changed,” Laurel told him.

“Why didn’t you come to me with this?” Oliver asked as he put a hand to his temple.

“For what? Your expertise on magical resurrections or that judgmental look on your face?” Laurel asked self-righteously.

“For help finding her Laurel! Before she gets hurt or hurts anyone else!” Oliver shouted and Laurel looked properly abashed. “And if I have a judgmental look on my face, it’s because you played with forces you don’t understand and now people are dying because of it!”

Oliver moved to walk off out paused, looking back at Laurel.

“I’m just curious, how many people were you going to let Sara kill before you came clean?” Oliver demanded.

Laurel said nothing, looking away in shame. Oliver gave a disgusted scoff before he turned and walked off. As he walked off, his phone rang. Seeing Quentin’s name flash across the screen, he answered.

“Yeah?” Oliver asked.

“We need to talk,” Quentin said without missing a beat.

“About Sara?” Oliver asked dryly.

“So she told you?” Quentin asked.

“Not exactly,” Oliver said wearily and Quentin scoffed.

“Well you gotta admire her consistency. She keeps the death secret from me and the resurrection secret from you?” Quentin said and Oliver noticed the stress in the other man’s voice.

“Are you okay?”

“I think there are certain situations where the word ‘okay’ does not apply!” Quentin shouted.

“We’re gonna find Sara,” Oliver quickly assured him.

“Good, because we’ve got other problems. We need to meet, bring Felicity with you,” Quentin told him and Oliver frowned.

Quentin’s apartment  
Later

“It’s a rat,” Felicity said as the three stared at the data on her laptop. “A remote access Trojan. Basically, it’s a computer virus designed to target and erase certain pieces of data. It’s layered with three levels of encryption. By the time I’ve cracked it-”

“Darhk will be wondering why I haven’t made his delivery,” Quentin sighed.

“I’m not sending you into a federal facility without backup,” Oliver told him firmly.

“I don’t want Laurel to know about me and Darhk,” Quentin told him.

“I wasn’t talking about Laurel,” Oliver said as he dialed a number and put his phone to his ear. “John, we have a problem…”

Arrow lair  
Later

“Hey buddy,” Oliver said as he walked over to William, sitting on his cot as he read a book. “Can’t sleep?”

“Not really,” William said as Oliver sat down next to him on his bed. “So, Laurel’s sister, she was dead and now she’s not?”

“It’s…a bit more complicated than that buddy. But yeah, basically,” Oliver said and William narrowed his eyes. 

“How is that possible?” William asked and Oliver sighed.

“The world is a much bigger, more complicated place than most people realize. Filled with things that defy explanation, that defy reason and science,” Oliver explained.

“Well, isn’t this a good thing? I mean, Laurel has her sister back,” William said and liver chuckled.

“If only things were that simple. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss my parents. And I think about what I would give to just spend another minute with them, something I’m sure you can relate to,” Oliver said and William nodded stiffly. “But what’s happening with Sara, it’s not taking away anyone’s pain. It’s just making it worse.”

“Oliver, I need to see you. Now,” Felicity said, her urgency filled voice coming over the PA system. 

“Duty calls. Try and get some sleep, okay?” Oliver said as he got to his feet.

William nodded and Oliver made his way over to Felicity at the computers.

“Did you find anything on Sara?” Oliver asked as he reached her.

“Yeah, I was looking at the victims, to see why Sara would attack them. Once I saw them, I noticed something,” Felicity said as she brought up the pictures of the two women on the screen. “They both look like-”

“Thea,” Oliver said as his blood ran cold. 

Laurel and Thea’s apartment  
Same time

Thea declined Oliver’s call when she heard a crash. Startled, she looked up to see Sara land on the floor. Thea stood up as Sara rushed over. Thea could do nothing as Sara grabbed her and slammed her down onto the coffee table, her hand wrapped around Thea’s throat. Thea tried to fight back but Sara as much stronger than her. Sara threw her onto the floor before slamming her against a door, shattering the glass. Sara threw her onto the floor, her hands around Thea’s neck. As she struggled for breath, Thea picked up a shard of glass and stabbed Sara with it in the arm. Sara let go at the pain and Thea fled. 

Weakened from her injuries, Thea stumbled down the stairs, falling down a flight. Hearing Sara approach, Thea hid behind the bottom of the stairs as Sara rushed down. Not finding Thea, Sara let out a primal roar before she fled out the front door. 

Starling General Hospital  
Morning

Oliver sat by Thea’s bedside when she stirred. Oliver stood up as Thea opened her eyes.

“Hey, how are you?” Oliver asked worriedly as he rushed to her side.

“I’ve been better,” Thea groaned as she sat up. “Sara, she tried to kill me.”

“That wasn’t Sara,” Oliver told her.

“No, that’s not it,” Thea said as she painfully pulled herself up into a sitting position. “Sara’s going through the same thing I’m going through.”

“What are you talking about? I thought you were better,” Oliver said confused. 

“When I was in Nanda Parbat, I…killed two guys,” Thea confessed and Oliver was stunned and horrified. “Malcolm served them up for me on a platter and it helped keep my bloodlust at bay.”

The door opened and Oliver looked up to see Laurel entering. His shock turning to anger, Oliver walked over before she could take two steps. 

“Come with me,” Oliver growled and Laurel saw the look in his eyes.

Deciding it was better not to argue in front of Thea, Laurel followed him.

“Is Thea okay?” Laurel asked once the door was closed.

“No. Not only is she hospitalized, she also has Merlyn influencing her to kill people!” Oliver snarled.

“What are you talking about?” Laurel asked confused.

“Oh, just another thing that happened on your secret trip to Nanda Parbat,” Oliver said sarcastically.

“I didn’t tell you because I knew you wouldn’t approve. Why didn’t you tell me you took Thea?” Laurel demanded angrily.

“Oh I don’t know maybe I was preoccupied with my sister dying or setting in motion my plan to make sure we all got out of that situation alive! This isn’t about me, it’s about you and what you did,” Oliver snarled.

“See, it’s the hypocrisy I can’t stand, it’s okay for you to do whatever it takes to save your sister but I can’t do that for mine?” Laurel snapped and Oliver stared at her incredulously.

“Hypocrisy? Are you serious right now? If anyone is the hypocrite here Laurel, it’s you,” Oliver snarled.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Laurel asked.

“You, Thea, and John seem to have a very flexible opinion on secrets. The three of you have no problem judging me for keeping secrets, yet seem to think it’s okay for you to keep secrets from me. You know what, you haven’t changed Laurel,” Oliver said ad she as confused. “Almost two years ago, I told you to stop blaming everyone else for your mistakes and your problems. And yet here you are, trying to blame me again for something you did. I’m done protecting you.”

“What are you talking about?” Laurel asked in confusion.

“For the last year, I have done everything I can to look out for you, protect you for the fallout of your own mistakes. I didn’t fight you on keeping Sara’s death a secret from your father, something I paid a high price for. I accepted that you were going into this life, despite the fact that you could barely handle street level thugs. And now, you’re trying to pin your mistakes on me, again. So clearly, it’s not working. I will always care about you, but from now on, you’re gonna have to face up to your own actions, both good and bad.”

Without another word, Oliver turned and walked out, leaving the stunned Laurel behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ll be honest. Laurel was probably the best overall character in season four, which is impressive since she was basically a glorified guest star this season. But, in this episode, she royally pissed me off. Laurel uses a supernatural force she doesn’t understand to bring someone she cares about back to life, because Laurel has apparently never seen a horror movie with that exact premise. It’s a stupid decision and the fact that everyone was telling her it was stupid idea made Laurel’s decision worse. But you know I could have gotten passed all that if Laurel had been forced to face up to the fact that she screwed up.
> 
> But god, I honestly have to marvel at the stupidity of the writers. Oliver is always wrong, even when he is right. Because Oliver was right and Laurel was wrong, that’s just a fact. Laurel’s reasons for keeping this from Oliver were weak at best. And the fact that she tried to turn this around, to somehow make it Oliver’s fault was unbelievable. 
> 
> The episode tries to paint Oliver a being completely unsupportive of Laurel, but I think it’s actually the opposite. Oliver has been too supportive of her. Looking back there are multiple instances where Oliver tries to protect Laurel from facing the fallout of her actions. The best example is when Sara dies.
> 
> Laurel makes the universally stupid decision to keep Sara’s death from Quentin. Oliver goes along with this, not putting up much of a fight. Something that comes back to haunt him, as Ra’s plan to turn the city against Oliver seems to be reliant on Quentin’s anger at Oliver. If Quentin had been told from the start about Sara, he would not have been so angry and Ra’s would have had to go about turning the city against Oliver a different way. Oliver losing The Arrow and Roy taking the fall is on Laurel as much as it is on Ra’s and Quentin.
> 
> But Oliver never once tries to blame Laurel for this, instead taking all the blame onto himself. This is not the first time Oliver has tried to protect Laurel from the consequences of her actions, as there are other examples throughout the series, but I digress. Oliver doing this does not help Laurel, as it prevents her from learning from her mistakes and denies her the opportunity to grow as a person.


	9. Constantine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a final effort to save Sara, Oliver calls upon an old friend with a very particular skill set.

Starling Genera Hospital  
Night

After having taken some time to calm down, Oliver made his way back towards Thea’s room. As he neared it, he was surprised to see Laurel standing by the door.

“Hey,” Oliver greeted and she nearly jumped, startled out of her thoughts by his voice. “Sorry. I didn’t know you were still here.”

“Just making sure Thea was okay,” Laurel said and Oliver nodded.

“About what I said, I said things-” Oliver began.

“Things that you meant, things that were true,” Laurel admitted. “You were right; I do try and blame other people for my mistakes, usually you. And I think I was able to do that because I knew you would try and protect me. I guess I have more of my father in me than I thought.”

Oliver opened his mouth to speak but, before he could say anything, they heard a noise coming from Thea’s room. Without thought, the pair burst into Thea’s room to see Sara choking the struggling Thea. Sara looked over at them before flinging Thea at them. Oliver barely caught her before Sara jumped through the window, the glass shattering everywhere as the three stared, shocked.

Arrow lair  
Night

“You sure you wanna be here?” Diggle asked Thea as they walked into the lair.

“I hated hospitals before this. Now it’s just an excuse to stay away,” Thea muttered as she sat down at the table.

“At the hospital, I looked Sara in the eyes. She wasn’t there,” Oliver said.

“What do you mean?” Diggle asked as they all looked over at him.

“The pit was designed to work on the living, not the dead. It restored her body but all this is happening-”

“Because it didn’t restore her soul,” Laurel realized and Oliver nodded.

“We still need to find her. Sara was dead long before you moved with Laurel and she knew exactly which hospital room you were in,” Oliver told Thea.

“What, you think Sara can sense Thea somehow?” Laurel asked skeptically.

“Here I was just wrapping my mind around Metahumans,” Diggle said dryly.

“Wait, we’ve both been in the pit. Maybe this gives us some kind of connection, a connection we can use,” Thea suggested.

“Thea, you just got out of the hospital, I don’t want to use you that way,” Oliver told her worriedly.

“Do we really have any other choice if we wanna stop Sara?” Felicity pointed out.

“Oliver, we’ll have her back. All of us,” Diggle said and Oliver sighed.

“Fine, but for the record, I think this is a bad idea,” Oliver said, giving in.

Verdant  
Later 

“I have to say it feels really weird being back here right now,” Thea mentioned as she walked down the stairs.

“Don’t worry, everyone’s in position,” Green Arrow assured her over the coms.

“It’s nothing. I don’t think this is gonna actually work,” Thea admitted.

As if to prove her wrong, one of the windows shattered as Sara jumped through it. Sara landed a few feet from Thea and looked at her hungrily.

“Oh god, I take that back,” Thea said as Sara lunged at her.

Thea was thrown against the stairs as Green Arrow and Black Canary came out of their hiding spots.

“Get her out of here!” Green Arrow barked at Spartan, who grabbed Thea and ran.

Sara engaged Green Arrow savagely and even in her feral state, she still possessed her League training, he realized. He was thrown into an old wooden post while Sara picked up one of Black Canary’s side batons and whirled on her sister, striking her across the face with it multiple times. As Green Arrow stood up, Black Canary pulled out a pistol and aimed it at Sara, trembling with emotion.

“Dad was right! There’s nothing left inside of you Sara!” She said, overcome with emotion.

Green Arrow fired at Sara, an arrow hitting her in the back and she fell over, unconscious.

“Tranq Arrow,” He explained and he walked over to his teammate.

“No. No, you said it yourself, she has no soul,” Laurel said as she aimed at Sara but Oliver grabbed her hand.

“Laurel,” Oliver said as he lowered the gun. “Let’s get it back.”

Laurel looked at him confused as he pulled out a cell phone and dialed.

“Oliver,” Constantine’s familiar voice answered. 

“John,” Oliver greeted.

“It’s been a dog’s age mate,” Constantine noted.

“More than. Do you remember that favor you owe me?” Oliver inquired.

“Don’t expect you to forget that,” Constantine said dryly.

“I need your help. How fast can you get to Star City?” Oliver asked.

Arrow Lair  
Later

“So, you’re going to perform an exorcism on my sister?” Laurel asked as Team Arrow and Constantine stood over the unmoving Sara.

“No, an exorcism is the removal of a demonic possession. What your sister needs is a restitutionem, the restoration of her soul to her body,” Constantine explained.

“And you’ve done this before?” Thea asked hesitantly.

“Once, maybe a year ago. But don’t worry, it’s just like riding a bike,” Constantine assured his hesitant audience.

“I’m sure we have a lot of work to do to prepare, I assume you brought the list?” Oliver asked and Constantine pulled out the list.

“Apologies; I didn’t have time to translate that from its original Aramaic,” Constantine said as he handed the list to Felicity. “You know, if I knew you were surrounded by so many pretty girls Oliver, I would have stopped by sooner.” 

With an annoyed roll of his eyes, Oliver led Constantine away.

“Where the hell did Oliver find this guy, a Luxor?” Diggle asked as Felicity looked over the list Constantine had given her.

“If he can help my sister, I don’t care who he is or where he came from,” Laurel said firmly as she walked off.

Later, Oliver laid Sara’s body on the floor as Constantine prepared the ritual. While this was going on, Team Arrow and William, who clung to Thea’s pants leg nervously, were waiting with baited breath. The elevator doors opened and Quentin got off, stopping as he took in the scene.

“I’m not even gonna ask,” Quentin muttered as he made his way over.

“You got Oliver’s message,” Laurel said relieved and he nodded.

“I’m her father to,” Quentin said as he put an arm around Laurel. 

“I hate to say this, but what if something goes wrong?” Diggle asked.

“Not to worry. If something does go wrong, we’ll all be too dead to care,” Constantine said and Oliver shot him a withering look.

“John,” Oliver growled with a pointed look over at a pale William.

“Not that anything will go wrong, of course,” Constantine quickly covered as Felicity walked over.

“I think I got everything you wanted, but I’m not entirely sure what you need a dead peacock feather for,” Felicity said as she held it out to him.

Constantine took the feather and, to everyone’s disgust, used it to scratch his back.

“Oh, nice one. That’s been bugging me for hours,” Constantine said as he handed the feather back to a disgusted Felicity and took a metal bowl from her. “Now, I’ve got enough juice to send myself and two of you to go the other realm and back, so…”

“I think it should be me. I mean, I’m the whole reason she’s like this,” Thea stepped forward.

“No offense love, but from what I hear, you’re not exactly bringing out the best in Sara right now are you?” Constantine pointed out and Thea looked away.

“Laurel,” Oliver called out and she looked over at him. “Do you trust me?”

Laurel nodded after a moment and Oliver stepped forward, holding his hand out to her.

“Trust me when I tell you this will work,” Oliver said as she walked up to him, taking his hands.

“Oh, one more thing,” Constantine said and they turned to him. “Whatever’s locked Sara’s soul away, it’s not gonna give it up without a fight. So be ready. Now, on with the show.”

Constantine lit whatever was in the metal bowl and stood up, speaking lowly in a language none of them understood. The others looked around as the lights shorted out, the light in the lair the open flame near Sara’s head. Sara opened her eyes, revealing pure white as she thrashed around and the lair began to tremble, like an earthquake.

“Oliver!” Laurel called out when something happened.

They dropped hands as the three of them appeared in some sort of thrown room. Oliver and Laurel quickly noted they were in their vigilante gear.

“Well, I’ve had worse hangovers,” Constantine said cheerfully as he stood up.

“We’re in Nanda Parbat,” Oliver said surprised.

“Help!” Sara’s voice cried out and Laurel immediately took after it.

“Laurel no!” Constantine said as he and Oliver ran after her.

Oliver and Constantine followed after her but they ran through a door and ended up back where they started. 

“Well, this is new,” Oliver quipped.

“New is why you brought me along,” Constantine pointed out.

Sara cried out again and Laurel moved to follow it but Constantine stopped her.

“You’ll never find her that way,” Constantine reasoned with her. 

“Well I’m not gonna just stand here!” Laurel snapped.

“What we need is a tour guide,” Constantine said as he pulled out a zippo. 

He placed it on the ground before putting his hand over it. He began muttering so lowly that neither Oliver nor Laurel could understand what he was saying. Constantine stood up and the zippo floated into the air as it spun rapidly. Finally, it stopped as it pointed to one of the doors.

“This way,” Constantine said as he took it. “Unless you want to be trapped here for all eternity.”

The trio walked through the door, finding themselves in the room with the Lazarus Pit. To assassins stood guard over it as Sara was in the pit, trapped.

“This is what locks away Sara’s soul?” Laurel questioned.

“How the human mind perceives it anyway,” Constantine as the assassins drew their weapons.

However, Oliver quickly notched two arrows and fired, getting the assassins.

“They may look like members of the League, but they clearly aren’t,” Oliver said dryly as they went down easily.

Laurel ran to the pit, beginning to help Sara out when another assassin walked in, drawing his sword.

“Get to the pit. You need to work together to get her out. I’ll take care of our new friend,” Constantine told Oliver before rushing to the assassin.

Constantine grabbed a sword of one of the fallen Assassins and engaged the new assassin. Meanwhile, Oliver put down his bow and grabbed Sara’s other hand, helping Laurel pull her out. 

“Anytime today now would be good,” Constantine said as he and the assassin traded blows with their swords. 

Constantine began chanting, stopping the assassin. He ran the sword through the assassin’s chest, pulling it out as Oliver and Laurel pulled Sara out of the pit. 

The three of them were suddenly back in the lair. All the lights came back on as Oliver was hugged by William and Laurel by Quentin. They looked down at Sara, waiting. Then, Sara opened her eyes and sat up as Laurel got down on her knees and hugged her sister. Quentin then joined them and hugged both his daughter.

“Hey, welcome back,” Oliver said as Sara looked over, her eyes drawn to William.

“Thanks but uh, who’s the kid?” Sara asked.

“This is William. My son,” Oliver said and Sara simply looked from him to William, shock written across her face.

“Clearly, I missed a lot while I was dead,” Sara said.

“Oh you have no idea,” Felicity said dryly.

Oliver’s campaign office, next day  
Afternoon 

“Alright, just stay on message. Unity, united, community,” Alex said as he, Oliver, and Thea were in Oliver’s office, getting ready for Oliver’s interview.

“I think I can remember my own campaign promise,” Oliver said dryly before e saw Laurel lingering outside his office. “Laurel, hey!”

“Maybe we need to work on your understanding of the phase ‘distance yourself’,” Alex said disgruntled as Oliver got to his feet.

“Only if you continue to use it when it relates to my friends,” Oliver said bluntly. 

“Okay. It’s your campaign. You pay me whether you win or lose,” Alex said before he stormed off.

“Um, I am going to keep him from quitting. But I’m very proud of you right now,” Thea said giddily before she followed after Alex.

“How’s Sara?” Oliver asked as Laurel walked in.

“Resting. It turns out getting your soul back is exhausting,” Laurel said dryly and Oliver chuckled. “Ollie…I don’t know how I’m ever going to be able to thank you.”

“Just like that,” Oliver said and Laurel laughed.

“Thank you. And thank you for inviting me. After what happened between us at the hospital, I figured I’d be the last person you’d want to see,” Laurel said and Oliver winced.

“Laurel, about what I said-”

“You don’t owe me an apology. I actually owe you one. You were right, I haven’t been a good friend to you recently but I’d like an opportunity to be a better one,” Laurel said hopefully.

“Never could say no to you,” Oliver joked and they both laughed as they hugged.

As they pulled back, looking at each other’s faces so close, suddenly, the air was filled with a different kind of tension than what had been in the hospital. Thankfully -or unfortunately, depending on how you looked at it - Oliver’s phone rang at that moment. They quickly detangled themselves from each other, Oliver pulling his cell phone out. Oliver frowned, as he didn’t recognize the number. Nevertheless, he still answered it.

“Hello?”

When the person on the other end spoke, Laurel saw Oliver’s face completely change to one of great surprise, which just made her wonder who he was talking to.

“HI…ok…I’ll be there…uh-huh…all right,” Oliver said before he hung up.

“Who was that?” Laurel asked curiously.

“That was Slade Wilson. He needs my help,” Oliver said to Laurel’s shock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we’re going to be getting into the Slade Arc, one of the things I’ve been most looking forward to about this story.


	10. Slade's request

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slade gives Oliver an odd request for help as Sara learns of Slade's apparent redemption.

Oliver’s campaign office  
Morning

“He’s late,” Alex told Thea as he checked his watch. “Later than usual.”

“I will call him and see what’s taking him so long. I’m sure he has an explanation,” Thea said as she pulled out her cell phone and began scrolling through her contacts.

“Well, it better be good,” Alex said annoyed.

Oliver’s apartment  
Same time

“Hello?” Oliver said as he answered his phone.

“Where are you? We need you down here for the finances,” Thea said annoyed.

“That was today? God Thea, I’m sorry, I totally spaced. I can’t make it in for a few hours,” Oliver told her apologetically. 

“Why not, Alex looks like he’s about ready to walk?” Thea whispered.

“An old friend is in town who needs my help. I’m sorry Speedy, but you’re gonna have to figure out the finances without me or postpone it,” Oliver said as he hung up. “Sorry, that was work.”

“Which work?” Slade asked dryly from where he sat by the window, his feet propped up on another chair.

“The kind where the police don’t chase you,” Oliver said sarcastically and Slade chuckled.

“Don’t apologize. I appreciate the meeting,” Slade said gratefully.

“You helped me save my son, the least I can do is help you find Joe,” Oliver told him.

“He doesn’t go by that name anymore,” Slade said and Oliver frowned.

“He changed his name?”

“His mother’s idea, her maiden name. He goes by Kane now,” Slade explained.

“What happened to him?” Oliver inquired.

“I tracked him to Calgary, but by then he’d gone, so I followed him Ibiza and then Mombasa,” Slade explained.

“Mombasa?” Oliver repeated.

“The kid took after his father,” Slade said as he got to his feet. “While we were stuck on Lian Yu, he went and joined the Australian intelligence service. A week ago in Kasnia, a mission went south. He was dealing in arms. Some locals caught him. Supposedly, he didn’t get a fair trial, and now he’s serving a life sentence like a rat in a cage.”

“Ok Slade. What do you need?” Oliver asked.

“I need you to help me find my son,” Slade said vaguely.

“And what does that mean? What do you need from me Slade? If you want my help, you need to be up front about what you want from me,” Oliver said bluntly.

“I need your Argus connections. Strangely enough, what I need is diplomacy. Which means I need you, not the Green Arrow,” Slade explained.

“What makes you think Lyla will agree to help?” Oliver inquired.

“Because you asked her to,” Slade said simply as he began to walk out. “I need you to create a new identity for yourself, some politician. I’ve organized transport to Kasnia. Wheels up at 2200. I’ll understand if you don’t wanna join me. But if you do, I’ll meet you out front at 2100. Okay kid?”

Oliver simply nodded and Slade returned the gesture before walking out. 

Laurel and Thea’s apartment  
Night

Sara hung up the phone ending the call with her mother. She leaned back into the couch as Quentin set two coffee mugs on the table.

“So how’d that go?” Quentin asked.

“Easier than the last time mom found out I wasn’t really dead,” Sara joked weakly as Laurel sat down next to her.

“You okay honey?” Quentin asked in concern.

“Yeah, just something mom said about how I got lost walking home from school one day and how I promised that I’d always come back. But I can’t remember,” Sara admitted.

“You’re probably better off not remembering all the messed up things our parents did to us anyway,” Laurel teased and Sara laughed.

“Hey, you both turned out alright, and you’re both home. I couldn’t ask for anything more,” Quentin told them. 

“Yeah, remind me to thank Ollie again for that when he gets back,” Laurel said, causing her sister and father to raise an eyebrow.

“Where’s he going?” Quentin asked.

“He’s going on a road trip with Slade Wilson,” Laurel said without thought.

“He’s what?! What happened while I was dead?” Sara asked stunned.

“And how is Oliver best buddies with Wilson after what happened?” Quentin mentioned.

“Didn’t I tell you what happened with William?” Laurel asked surprised, sure she had.

“Well you certainly left out a few details,” Quentin told her and Laurel winced.

“Obviously I did. Well, sit down, it’s a complicated story,” Laurel said and Quentin sat down on the other couch as he and Sara gave her their undivided attention. “It all starts a few months before Ollie became the Green Arrow. He was on his way home from the grocery store when he noticed a woman on the side of the road that seemed like she was having car trouble…”

Arrow lair  
Same time

“Okay, thanks Lyla,” Oliver said as he hung up his phone while he packed.

“So, Lyla tells me Oliver Queen is going to Kasnia with Slade Wilson?” Diggle asked as he walked over.

“Nope, Vincent Falcone, mayor of a small town in Australia, is,” Oliver told him and Diggle nodded.

“What’s going on Oliver?” Diggle asked and Oliver sighed.

“Slade’s son is in prison there. Slade insists he has a diplomatic solution, but I’m worried if I don’t go, he’ll take a more…aggressive approach,” Oliver explained and Diggle nodded.

“So, are you going because you want to or because you feel like you have to?” Diggle asked and Oliver sighed once more.

“John, I know Slade isn’t your favorite person, but you didn’t know him before the Mirakuru. I made him a promise that I would help him find his son. And I owe him John, I owe him at least this,” Oliver said firmly.

“And how does William feel about this?” Diggle inquired.

“Oh, William is all for it. William thinks the world of Slade considering he saved him from China White. Slade is his hero,” Oliver said disgruntled. 

“Are you sure about this?” Diggle asked after a beat.

“No. But I owe him for saving William,” Oliver said as threw his duffle back over his shoulder.

Laurel and Thea’s apartment  
Same time

“Wow, that’s…wow,” Quentin said after Laurel had finished telling Sara and him the whole story.

“Yeah. Sara, you okay?” Laurel asked as she saw the look on her sister’s face. 

“I don’t trust Slade, I especially don’t trust him with Ollie, alone,” Sara said bluntly. 

“Well, if their story is true, Wilson doesn’t seem like a nutcase anymore,” Quentin noted.

“He didn’t seem like one at first when we were all on Lian Yu either. I just…I don’t trust him. Not enough for this,” Sara said.

“Well, Ollie said he was gonna meet Slade outside his apartment at nine so they could head out to their transportation, whatever that is,” Laurel told her. “If you wanna try and stop him, there’s your chance.”

“Ollie won’t be stopped. He doesn’t see straight when it comes to Slade, never has,” Sara said, a glint in her eyes that neither her sister nor her father liked.

Star City  
Later

Slade stood outside a black SUV with the truck open, his duffle bag over his shoulder. Slade checked his bag and, seeing it was nine, sighed in disappointment. He turned around, putting is bag in the trunk when-

“How long is this flight?”

Slade turned around to see Oliver standing behind him.

“About twelve hours,” Slade said, a grin crossing is face. “Thanks for coming kid.”

“Let’s go get your boy,” Oliver said with a nod.

“Room for one more?”

Oliver and Slade turned and saw Sara stepping out of the shadows, a duffle bag thrown over her shoulder.

“Sara?” Olivier sked surprised while Slade showed no visible reaction to the girl he had heard was dead being there, alive and kicking.

“I don’t trust you with him. Certainly not enough to let you go with him alone,” Sara said as she shot Slade a glare that didn’t seem to faze him.

“That’s fair. If it will ease you consciousness, you are more than free to come along,” Slade said and Sara glared.

“If you make one move I don’t like, I won’t hesitate to kill you,” Sara snarled before getting in the backseat, not giving Slade her bag.

“Smart choice,” Slade said before closing the truck after putting Oliver’s bag in. 

Olivier sighed before getting in the passenger seat as Slade got in the driver’s. This was going to be one hell of a trip, Olivier thought dryly as Slade began driving off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, not a very long chapter, but I felt it was a good way to start off the Slade Arc.
> 
> I didn’t have Oliver decided to back out only to be talked back into it by Felicity because that had Guggie’s writing all over it.


	11. Kasnia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver, Slade, and Sara arrive in Kasnia on their mission to free Slade's son, but they make a terrible discovery that changes everything.

Kasnia  
Afternoon

“So where’s your point of contact?” Oliver asked Slade as they and Sara waited in an area that made Oliver reconsider this whole trip.

“I don’t know,” Slade admitted. “His name’s Nylander, an old friend from back in the service days. He’s a bit of a jackass and never on time.”

“So basically, he’s just like you without punctuality,” Sara said rudely, causing Oliver to shoot her a look but Slade simply chose to ignore her.

“He’s not that bad,” A voice said behind them. 

They all looked over as a man Oliver and Sara assumed was Nylander walked up to him. 

“Slade Wilson! The Terminator!” Nylander said as he and Slade exchanged a man hug.

“Haven’t heard that name in a while,” Slade noted as they let go. “You’re later than usual.”

“I was with a girl. But forget about that, look at you! Mirakuru did you wonders!” Nylander said and Slade winced. “Oh what? You’re not sensitive about that skit, are you? You were quite the madman I hear.”

“You promised me something. Do you have it or did I travel seven thousand miles for you to screw with me?” Slade asked bluntly.

“Truth be told, I’m glad you got your marbles back,” Nylander said as he handed Slade a file, looking over Slade’s shoulder at Oliver and Sara. “Who are they?”

“Friends of mine, don’t worry about them,” Slade said, ignoring Sara’s scoff as he began looking through the file.

“With you, I always worry,” Nylander said honestly.

“This should work, thank you,” Slade said as he closed the file.

“That’s it? Just a thank you? No extravagant dinner? No pints?” Nylander asked and Sara and Oliver began to get a bad feeling about this man.

“Maybe next time, when my son isn’t rotting in a third world prison,” Slade said, turning around and beginning to walk away.

“He’s lucky to have you as a father,” Nylander told him and Slade stopped cold.

“My son wouldn’t be in this mess if anyone else was his father,” Slade said grimly.

“Just be careful Kamrat. Your boy was snooping around some private-op mercenaries. Um, not so nice guys,” Nylander warned him. 

“Under certain circumstances, I’m not so nice a guy,” Slade said darkly before walking off.

Oliver and Sara shot Nylander a suspicious look before they turned and followed after Slade. 

Hotel  
Later in the afternoon

“I call this play ‘liberty watch’,” Slade said as he handed Oliver a pamphlet. “A mayor from Australia comes to small, war torn Kasnia to fight for the release of a man who has been wrongfully accused.”

“Clever,” Oliver noted and Slade shrugged.

“Like I said, it’s a diplomatic solution,” Slade said as he walked over to a bed and began pulling something out.

“Not to be a pessimist, but I doubt they’re just gonna hand Joe over to Ollie just because he’s playing an Australian mayor,” Sara snarked and Slade smiled grimly.

“That is what these are for,” Slade said, opening a brief case to reveal it was full of cash.

“How much money is that?” Oliver asked surprised.

“Fifty-thousand dollars,” Slade told him.

“How did you get that kind of money?” Sara asked suspiciously.

“Left over from when I was running the Church of Blood. Figured some good should come from that time now,” Slade sighed.

“After I get Joe, where do we meet up with you?” Oliver asked.

“After you get him, head to the airport,” Slade said as he handed Oliver some papers and two tickets. “Here is an Alias for him and tickets for you both for London. Since Sara invited herself along, I’m sure she can get herself home as well.”

Sara scowled and opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Oliver.

“You’re not even gonna see him?” Oliver asked incredulously.

“I need you to promise me that you won’t tell him I helped,” Slade said and Oliver shook his head.

“I’m not gonna lie to your son,” Oliver said firmly.

“It’s better this way,” Slade insisted.

“For him or for you?” Oliver demanded.

“What do you expect Ollie, he’s a coward. Always has been,” Sara sneered as she glared at Slade.

Oliver shot her another look before looking at Slade, who didn’t face them, who had no reaction to Sara’s words.

“Are you afraid he’s gonna see you as Deathstroke, not as the man you were, the man I think you are now?” Oliver asked as he took several steps closer to Slade.

“I gave up the right to be his father when I stepped out of the light and into the shadows, became this monster,” Slade said softly.

“Your son will forgive you the way my son forgave me,” Oliver said confidently. 

“Joe knew that I was coming to look for him,” Slade revealed as he turned to Oliver. “So he contacted his mother, and sent me a message to stay away. You got your second chance kid, and I’m happy for you.”

Slade then turned and walked to the door to their room holding it open for them. 

“Some fathers aren’t so lucky,” Slade finished.

Prison  
Later in the afternoon

“You said you came to watch my back, not to make this more difficult for Slade than it already is,” Oliver scolded Sara as they saw it what appeared to be a waiting room.

“Well I’m sorry, I’m having a little trouble having compassion for that man after everything he’s done and I don’t understand how you can. Don’t you remember everything he’s done?” Sara snapped.

“I remember everything, the good and the bad,” Oliver snarled as he looked over at her. “But that was the Mirakuru, not him. After everything that’s happened to you, you of all people should understand what it’s like to do things when you’re not in your right mind.”

“Unbelievable. He still clouds your judgement,” Sara laughed in disbelief. “Honestly, I don’t know if you love Laurel or him more.” 

“This has nothing to do with Laurel,” Oliver denied.

“Doesn’t everything? You and her, always and forever,” Sara snipped.

“Well maybe if you’d stuck around, that wouldn’t be the case,” the words were out of Oliver’s mouth before he could stop them. 

Sara reeled back, staring at him in surprise. Before the conversation could continue, the guards came over to take them to the Warden. Oliver and Sara silently agreed to table the conversation for now as they were led into the warden’s office.

“Mr. Falcone,” the warden greeted as he stood up from his desk.

“Please, call me Vincent,” Oliver said in a passable Australian accent as he shook the Warden’s head.

“And who is this?” The Warden asked as he eyed Sara.

“This is my bodyguard; she is simply for my protection. Given this country, you understand,” Oliver said and the Warden nodded.

“So, I understand you are with organization in hopes-”

“To request the release of one of your prisons from my country: Kane Wolfman,” Oliver said and the warden sighed.

“I wish you’d come earlier,” the warden said and Oliver stiffened.

“Why is that?”

“Earlier today, there was a fight in the prison yard. Mr. Wolfman, he try to break up. He was shoved and hit his head on the ground, very hard. He died almost instantly. He did not suffer, if it is any consolation,” the warden said as Oliver tried to figure out how he was going to break the news to Slade. 

Hotel  
Later in the afternoon

Slade had not taken the news well. He simply sat on one of the beds as Oliver sat on the other, Sara staying out of the room to give them some privacy. Slade was staring at a picture on his phone that was out of Oliver’s view.

“He never knew,” Slade said softly.

“Never knew what?”

“That I loved him,” Slade said brokenly.

“I’m sure that he did Slade,” Oliver said confidently.

“I don’t remember the last time I told him,” Slade said, obviously holding back tears.

“You were his father, he knew,” Oliver assured him.

“I should have come with you to the prison,” Slade said as he got to his feet, walking over to the window. “I know it wouldn’t have made any difference, but…at least I could have seen him, said goodbye.”

“We still can,” Oliver said as he got to his feet. “You can still say goodbye.”

After a moment, Slade nodded his head.

Prison  
Later

“Mr. Falcone, I was not expecting a return visit,” the warden said as Oliver, Slade, and Sara walked back in.

“Warden, this is Kane Wolfman’s father. He would like to see his son’s body,” Oliver explained and saw a look of fear cross the warden’s face.

“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” he said clearly nervous.

“Why not? You said he only passed this morning,” Oliver demanded, suspicious of the warden’s behavior.

“It is no longer in my possession,” the warden tried to explain.

“Where is my son’s body?!” Slade snarled, taking several threatening steps towards the warden.

Sara was sure Slade was about to tear the warden apart when Oliver put a hand on Slade’s shoulder. This seemed to pull Slade back from whatever murderous intentions he had, as he looked over his shoulder at Oliver before stepping back, to Sara’s surprise.

“He’s lying,” Sara said and Slade nodded in agreement.

“Do you want me to call Liberty Watch? Do you want me to cause an international incident? Because I am prepared to do both,” Oliver said with full intentions of backing that up.

“The situation is complicated,” the warden tried to explain.

“Well uncomplicate it!” Slade snarled stepping forward only for Oliver to push him back.

“I’d talk fast, because you don’t want to piss this guy off. Trust me,” Sara told the warden and he sighed.

“They are called the Jackals, the men your son investigated,” the warden told Slade. “When they discovered his arrest, which was merely him being in wrong place at wrong time, they broke into prison, take him.”

“Why did they take him?” Slade demanded in a much calmer voice that had Oliver on edge.

Slade speaking calmly in these kinds of situations usually didn’t end well.

“Torture. Your son is spy. In his head, secrets worth millions. They threatened reprisal on my family if I spoke about it,” the warden said apologetically.

Slade did not respond, simply turned around and began walking out.

“Slade. Slade,” Oliver called out worriedly.

“When the Jackals took my son, they didn’t count on who his father was,” Slade said darkly as he walked out of the room.

Star City, Palmer Tech  
Not long after

Felicity was hard at work, working on Ray’s message when her phone rang. She sighed, picking it up and saw Oliver’s name flashing across the screen.

“Hey. Did Slade get his happy ending?” Felicity asked as she answered.

“Not exactly. It turns out Slade’s son has been kidnapped by a group of mercenaries called the Jackals,” Oliver explained.

“Oh god,” Felicity said horrified.

“Yeah and Slade isn’t gonna leave his son behind. I was wondering-”

“I’ll see what I can dig up on these guys,” Felicity said, already on it.

Kasnia, hotel  
Later in the afternoon

Slade was getting ready, already in his suit sans helmet when Oliver walked in, a tablet in one hand and a glass of water in another.

“Felicity hacked into every intelligence agency in the world. These guys are ghosts,” Oliver said handing Slade the tablet and taking a drink.

“That’s no help,” Slade noted unhappily.

“But this is,” Oliver said, touching the tablet and bringing up a picture of the Jackals taking Joe. “Using closed circuited cameras in the prison and surrounding areas, she got the escape route, the license plates and then using keyhole satellite technology-”

“She tracked them to one location,” Slade finished. “Excellent.”

“What do you have in there for me?” Oliver asked, putting his now empty glass on the table as Slade moved to gather his weapons. 

“Nothing. I told you, you’re only part in this was talking,” Slade said simply.

“Circumstances have changed,” Oliver argued.

“Not for you. You have your own son and your own problems back home. You should go back to them,” Slade told him.

“Slade, these guys are the best of the worst, alright? They’re stone cold killers,” Oliver tried to reason.

“What do you think I am?” Slade asked as he loaded a pistol.

“He thinks you’re out of practice and outnumbered,” Sara said as she leaned against the door frame.

“Possibly,” Slade admitted. “But it changes nothing. Besides, since when do you care?” 

“She may not, but I do,” Oliver said when Sara didn’t answer. “And I am not letting you do this alo-”

Oliver suddenly stopped, swaying on his feet as the world spun. Oliver fell to his knees, slumping against the bed, out cold. Sara rushed to him, checking him over.

“What’s wrong with him?” Sara asked worried.

“Sedative. He’ll wake up soon enough,” Slade said calmly and Sara whipped her head towards him.

“You drugged him?” Sara asked angrily.

“I knew he’d never let me do this alone. But alone is what I do best,” Slade said grimly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let’s be honest, Sara’s freak out and breakup with Oliver in season two was only so the writers could start Olicity. Things between Oliver and Sara were never really resolved, mostly because there is rarely any mention of their relationship afterwards. So here, aim going to attempt to give Oliver and Sara the closure the writers have so cruelly denied them.


	12. The Jackals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slade goes to rescue his son only to make a shocking discovery. Back in Star City, Team Arrow makes an alarming discovery.

Hotel, Kasnia  
Night

Oliver groaned as he came to. Blacking, he saw he was in bed, Sara laying on the other bed, clearly resting her eyes.

“What happened?” Oliver asked his brain a little fuzzy.

“Slade drugged you to stop you from coming after him. Looks like he hasn’t changed that much,” Sara said gruffly, obviously remembering his trick with the Mirakuru. “He left you a note.”

Oliver got up, looking over at the table and seeing a piece of paper in front of the glass of water Slade had drugged him with. He walked over to it and picked it up.

“Go home kid. Be a father. Thanks for reminding me that I’m one, too,” Oliver read before tossing the paper away.

“Ollie, I know you wanna help him, but you can’t help someone who doesn’t want it,’ Sara told him as she got up.

“Guess not,” Oliver said resigned.

“Let’s go. We did what we came here for,” Sara said before Oliver’s phone rang. “The team?”

“No, William,” Oliver said, seeing his son’s name flash across the screen before answering. “Hey buddy.”

“I just wanted to check in. Is this a bad time?” William asked.

“It’s never a bad time,” Oliver told him.

“Are you coming home? William asked.

“As a matter of fact, I am,” Olive told him.

“So you were able to help Slade?” William asked and Oliver sighed.

“Unfortunately, I wasn’t,” Oliver said sadly.

“I really hope he finds his son. Is there anything else you can do for him?” William asked and Sara saw the look in Oliver’s eyes.

“You know…I think there might be. I’ll see you buddy,” Oliver said as he hung up.

“Seriously Ollie? He drugged you! That man does not want your help!” Sara snapped.

“When I first got back, the city didn’t want my help. Didn’t mean it didn’t need my help. You can go home if you want, but I’m staying. Not the first time you left me, right?” Oliver said and left Sara with the wounded look on her face as he walked out.

Unspecified location  
Not long after

Two men were playing card when suddenly, a sword burst from one man’s chest. The other man jumped up, startled, as Deathstroke yanked the sword out and the man fell forward, dead.

“Who’s in charge?” Deathstroke demanded.

The man tried to pull a gun, but Deathstroke was faster. He pulled out a gun and fired, getting the man. He rushed forward, firing and getting another man as more rushed him. Slade whirled his sword, slashing one and getting him across the chest. Slade then grabbed another man as he tried to shot him, but the bullets simply bounced off Slade’s armor. He slammed him against the wall before throwing him back, shooting him in the stomach. As anther trued to shot him, Slade slashed at his feet, causing them an to cry out in pain before Slade shot him in the abdomen. 

Slade continued to fight his way through the Jackals, ending up in some sort of gym area, which Slade assumed was used for ether training or lounging around, judging by the tables that resembled desks in the room. Slade took off his helmet as several more Jackals rushed in, taking aim at him as he breathed heavily. Maybe Oliver and Sara were right about him being out of practice, he thought.

“Stop it, stop,” a familiar voice called out and Slade’s hands clenched into fists. “Damn it Slade, you’re going to ruin my new shoes, and I just bought them brother.”

“Nylander,” Slade snarled as he turned to glare at his ‘friend’. 

“This man is a legend, so no pulling triggers…yet,” Nylander said as he walked over to Slade. 

Nylander tentatively reached for Slade’s sword and, when Slade didn’t fight him, grabbed it.

“Truce? Let me explain,” Nylander said as he took Slade’s sword.

“I knew you’d be involved Nylander,” Slade admitted as he walked over to a table. “But you’re too stupid to run this organization. So where’s the boss?”

“You know, I had really hoped that prison would be your dead end, but no. You just had to keep on coming, didn’t you?” Nylander asked sarcastically as he walked over to Slade. “We’ve got a good thing going here Slade, lots of killing, lots of money and your son, what he knows…priceless.” 

“You like burning bridges,” Slade sneered and Nylander laughed.

“So says the man who nearly burned down a whole city,” Nylander said, turning his back and walking away from Slade.

Enraged, Slade reached for his gun, intending to kill his former friend, but a shot rang out and Slade had to pull his and back as it bounced off the metal leg of the chair he was sitting in.

“You’re smarter than that Kamrat,” Nylander said as Slade stood up and stalked over to Nylander.

“Where…is my son?” Slade snarled.

“Why do you ask? Do you wish to join him, hmm?” Nylander asked ominously. 

At the entrance to the building, Oliver walked in, seeing the massacre Slade had left in his wake. A Jackal walked in, aiming his pistol at Oliver. But Oliver reacted quickly, grabbing the gun, punching the Jackal in the face, and throwing him on the floor, taking his gun. The Jackal on the floor, out cold, Oliver moved on. 

“I’m curious Slade, what was your plan? Kill us all and save your boy? Kind of reductive, no?” Nylander asked.

“I like to keep things simple,” Slade sneered.

“Ah, things rarely are brother,” Nylander told him condescendingly. 

“Well this is: I will join the Jackals as long as you let my boy go,” Slade promised, to Nylander’s surprise.

“It’s like I said, things aren’t so simple. We need your son. After all, he’s our boss,” Nylander announced to Slade’s shock.

Then, a man walked out of the shadows, a sword on his back and a gun in hand. But Slade would recognize his face; he knew it almost as well as Oliver’s and his own.

“Hello Father. It’s been a long time,” Joe told the stunned Slade. “You should’ve stayed dead.”

“I heard you were in trouble kid, so I thought I’d offer my help,” Slade said, recovering slightly from the shock.

“My old man here to save me. Last I heard you weren’t all that interested in saving anyone. Apple doesn’t fall that fair,” Joe said as he took aim at Slade’s one good eye with his gun. “What do you think? Patricide?”

“He’s seen our operation. It makes him a liability,” Nylander noted.

“Yeah, you can have that choice, but I’ll give you another one. Let me join you,” Slade said to the shock of everyone, especially Oliver, who was watching, hidden, from the entry way door.

“If I wanted a family reunion, I would’ve sent an invitation,” Joe snapped.

“Maybe you did, and you just haven’t realized it yet kid,” Slade said as he walked up to Joe. “You see, I came all this way to talk to you, and I will kill anybody who gets in my way because I got nothing left to lose, only you. So go ahead and make a decision.”

For a brief moment, Oliver was sure Joe was going to take that shot. But then, he lowered the gun away from Slade’s face.

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t swayed by the poetry of it all,” Joe said as Oliver saw some radios and took a pair. “But how can I trust you?”

“Trust is built upon honesty. I am sure you have a lot of questions to ask me, and I have a lot of questions for you Joe,” Slade told his son.

“That’s not my name anymore,” was the immediate answer.

“Your mother named you something different to keep us apart,” Slade pointed out.

“Okay,” Joe said, having lowered his gun completely. “I guess we have some catching up to do.”

As they moved to walk off, Oliver quickly disappeared from sight. This trip was getting more complicated all the time.

Arrow lair  
Same time

Back in Star City, Team Arrow was having problems of their own.

“Say that again?” Diggle asked as he, Laurel, and Thea stared at Felicity.

“Ray is the size of a tatter tot,” Felicity repeated. “Ray upgraded his suit with the same nanites I injected him with after bad Arrow shot him. Long story short, he jury rigged a short ranged message burst that was intercepted by whoever is holding him captive.”

“Oliver is never gonna believe this,” Thea said shocked.

“Neither is Sara,” Laurel muttered.

“Yeah, they sure picked a lousy time to head off with Slade,” Felicity said passive aggressively causing the other two women to glare at her in defense of their siblings.

“Oliver left because he felt we could handle things while he was gone. Let’s prove him right,” Diggle said, trying to avoid an argument. “Does Ray know what whoever took him is after?”

“He thinks they want his suit for his technology, but they can’t use it while it’s small,” Felicity explained.

“And while he’s small, it’s like looking for a needle in a city of haystacks,” Laurel noted.

“Ray has a solution to that. He has the schematics to a machine that should be able to resize him. Now that you’re all filled in,” Felicity said as she stood up and walked off.

“Well, she’s losing it,” Thea said bluntly.

“She’s just worried,” Diggle said in defense of Felicity.

“And so she can say whatever she wants, do whatever she wants, and get away with it?” Thea asked angrily.

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Diggle tried to explain..

“Then what are you saying John?” Laurel demanded. “You wouldn’t have let me or Thea get away with that comment about Ollie and Sara, but you didn’t say anything about it to Felicity. You know, Ollie told me how you think I’m his blind spot. Seems to me that Felicity is yours.”

Jackals HQ  
Same time

“Sorry for the poor accommodations,” Joe said as he led Slade into his private office. “We don’t plan on staying in this stain of a country for long.”

“Well, there’s a reason why they sat the money is in the muck,” Slade noted as he sat down.

“I did bring one luxury however,” Joe said as he put a bottle of Australian Rum on his desk.

“Well, this is a blast from the past,” Slade noted as he picked up the bottle. “My favorite. I didn’t realize you’d acquired a taste for it to.”

Like you taught me, always drink good boos. And look out for yourself.” Joe said and Slade looked away.

“Well, the Jackals are an unruly bunch. Must have been difficult to keep ASIS in the dark for so long,” Slade said and Joe scoffed.

“It’s amazing what an agency is willing to overlook when they’ll leave their own men for dead,” Joe said and Slade smiled thinly as he poured the liquor.

“So, what sort of operation are you running here? Drugs? Weapons? Perhaps a military coup,” Slade inquired.

“Let’s just call it a reassignment of resources,” Joe said vaguely as he picked up his glass. “A lucrative one.”

Later, Nylander led Slade outside.

“One big happy family again, huh?” Nylander asked.

“None of your business. But he told me about your new job, the reassignment of resources. Tell me about that,” Slade demanded.

“If the boss didn’t think to tell you, then that means it’s none of your business Kamrat,” Nylander said as he looked over at Slade. “Meeting hall, thirty minutes.”

Nylander walked off and, once he was out of hearing rang, a familiar voice spoke up behind Slade.

“Slade,” Slade’s blood ran cold as he turned around and saw Oliver walk out of the shadows.

“What are you doing here? You should have gone home,” Slade shout-whispered.

“Well I don’t abandon people, even when they leave me drugged. Now what is this reassignment of resources that your son and his men are planning?” Oliver demanded.

“You overheard that,” Slade noted and Oliver nodded.

“Just like I overheard your plan to join them. Your son is dangerous Slade,” Oliver warned him.

“He’s just a younger version of me,” Slade argued.

“No, you were never a gun for hire,” Oliver shot back.

“But I was a killer,” Slade pointed out the one thing Oliver could disagree on. “Listen kid, you better go home before you find yourself in trouble you can’t get out of.”

“I can’t walk away from this. Can you?” Oliver asked and Slade didn’t answer, not sure he had one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I’m doing 4x06 with the Slade Arc. I know this chapter was more Slade Arc, but next chapter will have more of a blending of the episodes. 
> 
> I’ve always felt that Diggle telling Oliver has a blind spot when it comes to Laurel was ironic and hypocritical. Does Oliver have a blind spot when it comes to Laurel? Maybe, but if so, he doesn’t let it affect his decision making process. Diggle on the other hand is chockfull of blind spots: Ted Gaynor, Felicity, Andy, he is never able to see straight when it comes to these people and it always comes back to bite him.


	13. Eye for an eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Slade's plan to stop the Jackals hits a snag. Back in Star City, Felicity makes a startling discovery about Ray's situation.

Jackals’ hideout  
Night

Slade was sitting down on a bench as the rest of the Jackals were getting their gear ready, deep in thought.

“Feeling at home yet Slade?” Nylander asked as he walked in front of Slade. “Or should I call you Deathstroke?”

Slade gave him a black look but luckily for Nylander, Joe chose that moment to walk in.

“Slight change of plans gentlemen. Forty percent of our Semtex was compromised during transfer. Conveniently however, the Kasnian army is doing some transferring of its own. I’m gonna take a small team in order to intercept,” Joe told them.

“Does this jeopardize our timeline?” Nylander asked.

“Not with the infamous Deathstroke backing me up. What do you say father? Interested in showing us how it’s done?” Joe asked as he looked over at Slade.

“As long as your dogs can keep up,” Slade quipped. “I’ll go pack some gear.”

Slade walked off to a seclude corner, far enough away none of them could hear him. He picked up his helmet and tapped the comms piece inside.

“Hey kid,” Slade said lowly.

“Comms are working,” Oliver said in the other end.

“Kane has me making a run for semtex,” Slade told him.

“That’s a high-yield explosive,” Oliver said alarmed.

“Yeah, with Nylander involved, I should have expected it,” Slade noted.

“He’ll probably be handling the detonator,” Oliver realized.

“If you can get the receiver, perhaps you can corrupt it. It’s probably in Nylander’s gear,” Slade told him.

“I’m on it. You good?” Oliver asked.

“Just find the receiver,” Slade ordered.

Star City  
Same time

Felicity had discovered that a crucial part to Ray’s device was only available at Kord Industries, Palmer Tech’s biggest competitor. Which meant there was only one way to get it, to steal it.

“I hacked the security panel but it needs to be accessed from the inside. The only problem is that the building’s interior is protected by pressure sensitive flooring,” Felicity said over the comms.

“In other words, Speedy you’re up,” Spartan said over the comms.

“Once the loading dock’s doors are open, you’ll have ninety seconds to find the manifold and amscray before men with guns show up,” Felicity warned.

“I got this,” Speedy said confidently as she lifted up a panel on the roof.

She shot up an arrow with a line and used it as a zip line to glide down to the panel.

“Punch in 4, 5, 8, 7,” Felicity ordered and Speedy did so.

Down by the docking bay, the doors opened up and Spartan and Black Canary walked in.

“Something’s wrong, the cameras are coming back online,” Felicity warned them.

“I got it,” Speedy said, aiming and firing at the cameras.

“Wait!” Felicity shouted but it was too late as the air broke the cameras. “If Kord upgraded the security, they probably improved their response time!”

In the storage room, Black Canary found the device and picked it off the shelf. However, as she did, alarms blared and she had to duck as security guards opened fire on her. Spartan exchanged fire back and Black Canary screamed, causing the guards to hold their ears as Spartan and Black Canary made their escape. Speedy rushed in and kicked a shelf down, stopping the guards from pursuing them as she ran after the others.

Arrow lair  
Same time

“We’re clear,” Spartan said over the comms and Felicity sighed in relief. 

“Hello?” Felicity screamed as Ray’s face came upon the computer screen. “Is anyone there?”

“Ray,” Felicity sighed as she attempted to calm herself.

“Any luck with the schematics?” Ray asked. “I realize the quantum manifold could present a challenge.”

“Nothing a little late night shopping at Kord Industries couldn’t solve,” Felicity said and Ray sighed in relief.

“Okay, that’s great. Now we just need to-”

Ray stopped as he seemed to hear something. Ray turned and, to Felicity’s shock, she saw Damien Darhk looking down at Ray before the screen went black.

“Oh no,” Felicity said in horror.

Kasnia  
Slightly later

As the rest of the Jackals set up the trap, Joe walked up to Slade with his helmet.

“I always knew you’d end up wearing this,” he told his father as he handed Slade the helmet.

Slade stared down at it, haunted by the memories when they heard the sound of tires squealing. They all looked over as they saw a military vehicle approach.

“Kill the lights!” Joe ordered.

As Slade put on his helmet, the lights dimmed. The vehicle went over the spikes that the Jackals had set up, deflating their tires. As the vehicle was forced to stop, The Jackals opened fire on the soldiers as they got off the vehicle. Slade got one in the knee and he went down.

“We don’t leave witnesses,” Joe told him, walking up to the soldier and impaling him in the chest with his sword, causing Slade to involuntarily take a step back at his son’s sheer brutality. 

Jackal’s base  
Same time

Oliver was stealthily making his way towards Nylander’s gear when he saw two Jackals, armed with rifles. Oliver internally swore. Oliver disappeared from sight before making his move. He flew out, hitting the first Jackal in the chest and he went flying. He hit the ground, out cold, as Oliver flipped the second one on his back and punched him hard enough to knock him out.   
With that handled, Oliver walked over to a table with what he was sure was the detonator on it. Nearby was also a set of plan. As Oliver studied them, he didn’t see Nylander peak his head around the corner and see him.

Arrow lair  
A little later

“You’re sure that you saw Damien Darhk?” Diggle asked as the four of them sat around the table.

“Just as sure as I am that Ray is not getting out of this!” Felicity snapped.

“It’s actually a good thing that Darhk has Ray,” Diggle said and Felicity stared at him incredulously as he continued. “Now that we know that Darhk is the one holding Ray, we have an angle we can use.”

“What?” Thea asked and Diggle looked uncomfortable before continuing.

“To make a long story short, Captain Lance is our spy within Hive,” Diggle said and Laurel looked stunned.

“What?” 

“You need to get the full story from him. But the point is, he can give us a location on wherever Darhk is holding Ray,” Diggle explained.

“And what if between then and now, Darhk decides to squish Ray underneath his shoe?’ Felicity snapped.

“If Darhk wanted to hurt Ray, he would have done it by now. He needs Ray alive for something. At the moment, the only thing we can do is get your friend the manifold and wait and see what Lance finds out,” Diggle said calmly.

“I hate waiting and seeing. I need to do something,” Felicity whined and Diggle was silent.

“Laurel, Thea, can you give us a moment?” Diggle asked and they nodded, walking out. “Felicity, take a walk.”

“I don’t-” Felicity began.

“That wasn’t a suggestion,” Diggle cut her off. “You’re losing it Felicity and you are no good to us or to Ray like this. Go home, take a shower, eat something. I don’t care what you do, but I don’t want you here or at Palmer Tech. That’s an order.”

Jackals’ base  
Slightly later

“So what are you planning with all these explosives?” Slade asked as Joe opened the case full of Semtex. “I’d like to know.”

“You missed your kill shot with the soldier back there,” Joe said randomly.

“Well, when lost my eye, I also lost my depth perception,” Slade lied.

“Most of my men think you joined us under false pretenses,” Joe told him.

“There’s nothing false about trying to find my son,” Slade said almost defensively. “But if they doubt me, perhaps I don’t have your trust.”

“Of course you do. Which is why I got you a little gift,” Joe said ominously.

Slade barely had time to wonder what he meant when he heard footsteps approaching. Slade turned around and fought to keep his face blank as Nylander came over with a restrained Oliver Queen.

“And you told me not to worry brother,” Nylander said before kicking Oliver in the legs and he went down to his knees with a grunt.

“Nylander found him with my detonator. Some might see it as coincidence, but I see it as fate. It’s time to collect on that debt he owes you father,” Joe said as Slade tried to think of how to play this.

“Oliver Queen,” Slade said lowly, trying to sound like he still thought of Oliver as an enemy. “I’ve waited a very long time for this.”

Mentally apologizing to Oliver, Slade slugged Oliver hard enough to knock him out.

“An eye for an eye,” Slade repressed the shutter he felt at Joe’s words, said with so much glee. 

Star City  
Shortly after

“Thank you for meeting me,” Quentin said as he and Darhk met in the road. “I knew you’re a busy man.”

“Oh I am, but I may have found a way to make this city…useful for once,” Darhk chuckled to Quentin’s confusion.

“I don’t understand.”

“Oh you will. Soon, everyone in this city will,” Darhk said amused.

“Well maybe I can find out sooner than others,” Quentin said surprising Darhk. “My daughter, Sara, she’s uh, back, but not all the way you know? Something about her is still a little off.”

“I assure you the relevance escapes me,” Darhk said annoyed as he turned and began to walk away. 

“Well, I was thinking if I could help you a little more, then maybe you could help me. You know your way around this magic mumbo jumbo,” Quentin said and Darhk stopped.

“Mumbo jumbo?” Darhk repeated as he turned to Quentin. “I’ll consider it Captain, but understand this. This will be the last time you summon me.”

Quentin gulped, true fear in his eyes as Darhk got in his car. As Darhk left, Quentin pulled out his phone and dialed Diggle.

“John, he just left. He’s headed south down Victoria street.”

“Copy that. I got eyes on him,” Diggle said as he began to follow Darhk discreetly in a black van.

Jackals’ base  
Not long after

When Oliver came to, it was with Slade standing over him, his sword pointed at Oliver’s eye. 

“Years ago, I made you a promise. Do you remember? I promised that you would suffer the same way that I suffered,” Slade told him.

“What are you doing? You are not this person anymore,” Oliver said trying to reach Slade, sensing that something was very off with his friend. 

“What I am is a father…reunited with my son. I made him a promise to. I’m not going to break it again,” Slade vowed.

“We made each other a promise Slade. To save our sons! To save Joe, to save William,” Oliver said, seeing something flicker in Slade’s eye.

“He has a son?” Joe asked gleefully as he approached as Slade’s head seemed to shake, either in denial or as something else, Oliver wasn’t sure. “I’ll make sure he suffers to.”

Slade walked up behind Oliver, raising his sword above Oliver as if to strike him.

“Slade? Slade!” Oliver tried to reason with him as Slade did nothing.

“Do it!” Joe egged on, pulling out his own sword.

Suddenly, a knife flew out, hitting Joe in the hand. His sword dropped as Slade made a cut, freeing Oliver from his binds. Oliver jumped up, slugging Joe hard enough to send him down to the ground.

“That was a little too convincing,” Oliver grumbled as he looked over at Slade, who was staring down at Joe.

“No kidding,” Oliver looked over as Sara dropped down. “I honestly thought you were gonna do it.”

“I thought you left,” Oliver said surprised to see her.

“I wasn’t leaving you again,” Sara said and Oliver’s eyes softened.

“We need to go,” Slade said, finally looking away from his son.

“He’s right. Come on,” Oliver said, grabbing Sara by the arm and leading her out.

Slade grabbed his helmet before following them out. Oliver opened fire, getting a few Jackals as Sara threw a knife, getting another one. As more Jackals came out of the woodworks and opened fire, the trio took cover behind a pillar and some gear.

“You two getting us into trouble, seems just like old times,” Sara said with a hint of fondness although she would forever deny being fond of anything relating to Slade.

“There’s no way out,” Slade pointed out.

“Then we make a way! Come on!” Oliver shouted.

The trio stood up and rushed to a window. Slade rushed through it, shattering the glass as Oliver and Sara followed behind him. The Jackals stood shocked as Nylander rushed to the window. There was no sign of any of them, just the glass a few stories below on the ground. Joe rushed over and looked down.

‘I’ll send out the dogs,” Nylander told him.

“We’ve got the op. That’s where they’ll be,” Joe said confidently before spitting out a mouthful of blood.

“Are you sure?” Nylander asked.

“That my father will try to stop us? It’s what fathers do. And that’s why I’m gonna kill him” Joe said darkly.


	14. A story's end

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Oliver, Slade, and Sara make a final attempt to stop the Jackals, Slade attempts to reach Joe one more time. Back in Star City, Diggle's plan to save Ray puts both Laurel and Thea in danger.

Kasnia  
Night

Slade and Sara followed Oliver down a road filled with parked cars as he explained his plan.

“Before they captured me, I saw what they’re planning. They’re going after the water supply. We move now, we might be able to stop them,” Oliver said as he managed pick the lock on a car before looking over at Slade, who had been silent since their escape. “If that’s what you want.”

“I spared your life back there,” Slade said defensively, although it sounded hollow even to his own ears.

“I think what Ollie is trying to say is that it didn’t feel an act. And he’s not the only one thinking it,” Sara said as she eyed Slade, a hint of mistrust in her eyes.

“Because when I saw my son, I was tempted,” Slade admitted roughly. “I would have done anything to keep us together. But when you mentioned William, I realized that’s not my boy. It’s Kane. But what I fear is that there is only one way to stop him.”

“Slade…there are other ways to deal with this that don’t involve killing your son,” Oliver said as he realized where Slade was going with this. “Deep down, he’s still your boy, so you need to reason with him, and I swear he will listen to you.”

“But I didn’t tell you what happened after Lian Yu,” Slade said, a haunted look in his eye.

“Well what did happen?” Sara asked.

“I went home to my son, and I promised him I would stay and never leave. And I broke that promise,” Slade said filled with shame.

“No, you broke that promise because of the Mirakuru,” Oliver argued.

“The Mirakuru faded for a while, but when it came back, it was like a storm I could not control. And that monster is what my son is trying to emulate. But it’s not Mirakuru with Joe, it’s anger and resentment, and I don’t know how that can be redeemed,” Slade admitted.

“There was a time I didn’t think you could be redeemed. But I’m here, miles from my city, miles from my son, trying to help you save yours. And I am doing that because I knew the man you were before the Mirakuru. And that is who Joe needs to see, he needs to see his father, the man you are right now, tonight,” Oliver said passionately.

“So Slade, you ready to earn your Dad Badge?’ Sara asked as Slade took a deep breath.

“I don’t know…but I have to try,” Slade said grimly.

Arrow lair  
Same time

“So this is where Darhk is holding Ray?” Thea asked as they all looked up at the digital blueprints on the screen.

“I don’t know, but he’s definitely hiding something in there,” Diggle noted.

“Latin building. Before the city went to crap, it was touted as the most secure building on the West Coast. Every access point is protected by a retinal scanner and a voice print,” Felicity explained.

“There is no way we’re getting in there,” Laurel noted concerned.

“Not from the outside anyway. How’s your friend doing on the device?” Diggle asked Felicity.

“He said he could have something functional in an hour but I don’t think we have that kind of time,” Felicity said.

“He’s just gonna have to assemble it in the field,” Diggle said to the shock of everyone.

“Wait, with us?” Thea asked surprised.

“As in we’re doing this? Are you sure we can handle this without Ollie and Sara?” Laurel asked uncertainly.

“We don’t have a choice. And if we can resize Ray, then we have another hand helping get out,” Diggle pointed out.

“I still think this a bad idea, but you’re the boss,” Laurel said, not looking very enthusiastic. 

Star City  
Later

Speedy stood on a rooftop, reaching back into her quiver as if for an arrow. Then a Ghost seemed to sneak up behind her and hit her in the temple with the butt of a rifle. She went down, seemingly out cold as the Ghost stood over her. 

Kasnia  
Not long after

Inside a water plant, Joe and some other Jackals were getting ready as Nylander walked up to him.

“All chargers are set. Feels like it should be you,” Nylander said as he held the detonator out to Joe.

“I hired you to pull the trigger,” Joe reminded him. “Move out! Get to a safe distance! Semtex makes for a pretty big bang.”

“You’re not coming?” Nylander asked surprised.

“I want a good view,” Joe quipped and Nylander chuckled.

“You’re crazy. I love it. Don’t forget what you said about the Semtex,” Nylander reminded him before walking off.

“I knew you’d show up,” Joe said once Nylander was gone, turning around to face Slade. “I think it’s time we had ourselves an honest talk.”

Outside, Oliver, from around the corner, began to open fire on The Jackals. As they began to return fire, Sara jumped down, throwing a knife and getting one in the back. As Sara flipped one over, Oliver used another one as a human shield, rushing forward and opening fire, getting various Jackals. One they were all down, Oliver slammed the Jackal he was holding against the wall, knocking him out.

“Come on, we need to get that detonator,” Oliver barked before leading Sara away.

“Trust begins with honestly. That’s what you said to me, but you lied!” Joe snarled at Slade as he circled his father.

“You know life is not that simple Joe,” Slade told him.

“That’s not my name! How could you forgive Oliver Queen after what he did to you?!” Joe demanded, not understanding.

“Because he forgive me for far worse, sins I have to carry to the grave! A curse I don’t want to pass onto you! All of this anger and resentment, it’s time to bring it to an end son!” Slade shouted back.

“No. It’s just the beginning!” Joe snarled as he pulled out his sword and rushed his father, forcing Slade to pull out his own sword and block his strike.

Star City  
Same time

“These are nice,” Darhk told Speedy as she was chained up, looking down at her quiver full of red arrows.

Darhk suddenly snapped one and threw it to the ground, followed by the rest of her quiver. “Woops.”

Darhk suddenly turned to the Ghost in the room with them.

“Leave us.”

The Ghost left without needing to be told twice. As he got on the elevator, Diggle took off his mask.

“Package is delivered. Black Canary?” 

“Ready,” She said.

“Felicity?”

“Read. Or ready as I’ll ever be,” Felicity said as she stood on a rooftop with Curtis.

“When I told HR I wanted more excitement with my job, this wasn’t what I had in mind,” Curtis said nervously. 

“You were the one who said you wanted to help Ray and that you were an accomplished base jumper,” Felicity snapped.

“I really do have too many hobbies,” Curtis muttered.

“Disengaging security system now,” Diggle said, deactivating the system before putting on his mask.

Felicity and Curtis jumped off the rooftop, the parachute opening halfway down. They crashed through a window and landed on their backs painfully.

“You okay?” Diggle asked as he walked in.

“Uh-huh,” Felicity groaned.

“We are not dead,” Curtis moaned.

“Good, let’s go,” Diggle ordered.

Black Canary walked up the stairs and some Ghosts saw her. They opened fire and she was forced to take cover behind a couch. She tipped it over before standing up and unleashing her Canary Cry. The sonic screech cracked the glass on their goggles and the other glass in the room shattered. She moved to move in but was forced to duck down as they opened fire once more.

Kasnia  
Same time

Oliver engaged some Jackals, punched one before flipping another over as Sara got behind Nylander, putting a knife to his throat. He froze, fear flooding through him as Oliver saw.

“Sara,” Oliver said as he noted the wild look in her eyes, so much like Thea’s when she attacked him in the lair. “Don’t-”

But it was too late. Sara ran the blade along Nylander’s neck, slitting his throat. He dropped the detonator, gasping for breath as he fell over, dead. Sara seemed to come back to herself and dropped the bloodied knife, staring down at Nylander in horror. Oliver picked up the detonator, looking at Sara sadly.

Star City  
Same time

“So, the Green Arrow ditch you? Darhk inquired.

“He really didn’t think you were worth his time,” Speedy said cheekily and Darhk chuckled.

“That’s cute. But you see, I don’t have time to babysit, so let’s make this quick,” Darhk said as he neared his hand towards her face.

Only for Speedy to kick him away and yanked the chains off her hands.

“I don’t think so,” Speedy sneered.

Diggle led Felicity and Curtis down to the room where they were keeping Ray.

“Hey,” Ray waved at them as Curtis took a look at his confinement.

“How do you open this? “Curtis asked.

"My best guess is it needs an asymmetric cipher. You can open it with five years and an NSA-grade computer," Ray said causally.

"Can't we just enlarge him now and use his size to break the cube?" Felicity asked.

“The quantum field won't be able to penetrate this polymer," Curtis explained.

Darhk used his magic to hold Speedy in place. She struggled against his invisible binds as he approached.

“You know, it’s a shame you won’t live to see the new life I breathe into this city. The new life I breathe into this world,” Darhk said before he put his hand on Speedy’s face and frowned when nothing happened. “This usually works.”

Suddenly, Darhk noticed his life seemed to be being drained and saw his skin was turning gray. Gasping for breath, he let her go, falling to his knees. He gasped for breath as Speedy grabbed her bow and quiver and ran as he struggled to regain his strength. 

“Okay, this place has cameras in it. Those cameras-” Ray began.

“Have to draw power from somewhere. Ray, you are a genius!" Felicity said.

“Well, I don’t know about that, but I have siphoned off enough juice to power up my exo-suit,” Ray said before powering it up.

“Dr. Palmer’s doohickey’s ready. If you don’t mind me using the technical term,” Curtis said.

“Do it!” Felicity barked.

Curtis activated the device, which glowed as it shot at the prison and completely shattered it. Ray grew to regular size abut seemed to be a little disoriented.

"I'm not dead." He told them, seeming a little overwhelmed.

Laurel was continuing to fight off The Ghosts but there were simply too many for her. She was thrown on her back and one was about to shoot her before he was shot in the shoulder by an arrow. Speedy jumped down, kicking one down before slugging another and whacking another with her bow.

“Come on, they have Ray, we need to go!” Speedy said helping her friend up and the pair began to move out.

Kasnia  
Same time

Outside the plant on a bridge, Slade and Joe exchanged blows with their swords. They appeared to be evenly matched, but it was obvious to Joe that Slade was holding back.

“You used to be ruthless! What happened?” Joe demanded.

“What you saw was the Mirakuru,” Slade grunted as their blades met in a deadlock.

“Stop lying!” Joe snarled as he pushed Slade back. “I saw you kill before the Mirakuru!”

Joe rushed him but Slade grabbed him and threw him over his shoulder. Joe landed hard on his face but crawled to his knees as Slade put a sword to his neck.

“Milford Sound,” Joe said and Slade paled. “That little father-son trip, the one you promised would just be about you and me. I saw what you did to that Chinese spy.”

“I was on a mission for ASIS,” Slade tried to explain.

“Well here’s something you don’t know-something mother never told you-I have a brother,” Joe revealed to Slade’s shock. “His name is Grant. Mother didn’t want him in this world.”

Stunned, Sade didn’t even try to stop Joe as he got to his feet. 

“But me, I’m my father’s son. I made my first kill six months after or camping trip. And I slit his throat, just like you did!” Joe said, taking advantage of Slade’s distraction by elbowing him in the eye.

Slade went down, his vision a little disoriented from the blow. But his hearing still worked perfectly. 

“I wanted to be exactly like my father, like Deathstroke!” Joe ranted as Slade realized the path he had unintentionally pushed his son down.

Slade, the fight leaving him, put his sword down, laying it at Joe’s feet.

“I am not Deathstroke…anymore,” Slade told his son.

“Then you’re not my father anymore. You’re just in my way!” Joe snarled, moving to strike Slade with his sword.

But a gunshot rang out, hitting the sword and knocking it out of Joe’s hands. 

“Don’t move!” Oliver barked as he aimed a pistol at Joe. “Slade, you alright?”

“Oliver, lower your gun,” Slade pleaded.

“I wish that you’d stayed dead,” Joe said, his face contorted in pain.

He then tossed a flare at Slade’s feet. Instinctively, Slade ran as it went off, fire blazing in front of them. Oliver rushed to Slade’s side as Slade stared at the spot where his son had vanished.

“He’s gone,” Slade said brokenly.

Arrow lair  
Later

“So, this guy who wanted to use me as his lab rat-” Ray began as they stood in the lair.

“Damien Darhk. He’s leader of an organization called Hive,” Laurel told him.

“Palmer, if he wanted your tech, it wasn’t for any good reason,” Diggle assured him.

“One more thing, they overheard my message to you,” Ray said as he looked over at Felicity.

“I’m a possible target. I figured,” Felicity shrugged. “Come on, I’ll take you home.”

“I think I’m gonna stay here tonight, keep William company while Ollie’s gone,” Thea told Laurel and she nodded.

“Good idea. I’ll see tomorrow,” Laurel said and Thea nodded before she walked off to find William. “I was right, this was a mistake.”

“Everything worked out in the end,” Diggle tried to be optimistic.

“Thea and I nearly got killed tonight because we didn’t have Ollie or Sara to back us up!” Laurel snarled. “Next time you wanna gamble like that, bet your own life!”

Laurel turned off, leaving Diggle alone to reflect on the events of the night.

Kasnia  
Same time

As Oliver was on the phone, Sara stood by the car, watching Slade. He was looking at his phone, the background a picture of him and a young boy that bore a striking resemblance to him.

“Is that Joe?” Sara asked and Slade nodded silently.

“I just spoke to the Warden,” Oliver said as he walked back over. “The Jackals are in custody and he is very relieved. Are you alright?”

“My son…he saw me kill a man before the Mirakuru, before Deathstroke. He followed in my path Oliver,” Slade noted sadly.

“Don’t blame yourself Slade, it doesn’t help. And I know that as the world’s leading expert,” Oliver told him.

“You know why I do. ‘Never give up on family’. That’s what you told me. It’s time for the two of you to go home,” Slade said as he moved towards the back of the car. 

“And where will you go?” Oliver asked as Slade opened the trunk.

“I’m gonna keep searching for my son, both of them,” Slade said as he came back over, a duffle bag thrown over his shoulder.

“If you ever need anything, don’t hesitant to ask,” Oliver said but Slade shook his head.

“You have your own family to protect. I’m not gonna put that at risk again. You’ve seen what can happen,” Slade said, holding his hand out to Oliver, who shook it. “Thank you kid. And thank you as well Sara.”

“You don’t owe me anything. I owe you an apology,” Sara began but Slade shook his head.

“No, you don’t owe me anything. You had no reason to trust me; I tried to kill your sister. For that alone, you should have killed me. Go back home to your family. Not all of us are lucky to have those,” Slade told her.

Slade then dropped Oliver’s hand and walked off. Oliver and Sara watched silently as Slade disappeared into the mist of the cold night.

“It’s funny; I was convinced I’d need to kill him when I invited myself along. Now I just feel bad for him,” Sara said and looked over at Oliver. “Thanks for not saying ‘I told you so’.”

“Figured you had enough going on. How are you feeling?” Oliver asked and she sighed.

“Thea told me this was a side-effect of the pit. I thought I could fight it, but I just…I couldn’t stop myself,” Sara said ashamed.

“Sara, it’s been less than a week since John brought you back. It’s gonna take some time, no one said it was gonna be easy,” Oliver tried to assure her but Sara shook her head.

“And how many bodies until then? You know the worst part? I felt better afterwards,” Sara said and Oliver was silent for a moment.

“Six years ago, a man, he unleashed a bio-weapon on China,” Oliver said and Sara looked over at him. “A lot of people died, including a friend of mine. I tortured this man, for hours, until he finally passed out from the pain. Not because I needed to, not because I needed Intel…I did it because I wanted to. Because I wanted revenge for what he had done.”

“You never told me that,” Sara said softly and Oliver shrugged.

“I’ve never told anyone that. Still think you’re the only monster on the team?” Oliver asked and Sara didn’t answer. “We’ve all done things, things that there is no redemption for. Terrible things. You don’t have dibs on self-pity and self-loathing Sara. Stop using it as an excuse to run away when the going gets tough. Because it just makes you a coward.”

Oliver then turned and walked off, leaving Sara to think on what he had just said.

Laurel’s apartment, next day  
Morning

“Sara, hey,” Laurel said as she saw her sister walk in. “You okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just been a long couple days,” Sara said with a weak smile, which her sister noticed.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Yeah, Ollie and Slade, they both made me face some truths I’ve been avoiding, things I’ve been running from. I’m done with that,” Sara decided.

Arrow lair  
Same time

Oliver walked into the lair, immediately hearing the sound of shouting from who sounded like his sister. He walked into the cot and saw Thea and William playing video games on the TV he had brought from the apartment. They immediately stopped as they saw him, likely thinking he would disapprove. Oliver internally smirked, thinking he could use this in the future.

“Hey buddy,” Oliver said as he hugged William.

“You weren’t gone that long,” William said protested weakly as he gave into the hug.

“I’m happy to see you, it’s allowed,” Oliver said as he let go.

“So what happened with Slade?” William asked and Oliver paused, trying to think of how to word it.

“He found his son,” Oliver said vaguely, deciding he’d tell Thea when William wasn’t around.

“That’s good,” William said.

“So what I miss here?” Oliver asked, hoping to change the subject.

“Well, Aunt Thea and I ate ice cream for dinner and I got an A on my science test,” William said and Oliver looked over at his smirking sister.

“We’ll discuss the ice cream later. But as for the A, I’m proud of you buddy. Go get dressed, I’ll take you both out for breakfast,” Oliver offered.

“Awesome,” William said as he walked off to change.

“So, Slade got his happy ending?” Thea asked once William was gone and Oliver grimaced.

“It’s a long story. It’s a long, sad story. I’ll tell you about it later. Did anything happen while I was gone?” Oliver asked and Thea nodded.

“Ray’s alive,” Thea said and Oliver stared stunned. “You think that’s a surprise, you won’t believe the rest of the story. But something else happened while you were gone, something I need to tell you about. But I’ll tell you after breakfast.” 

“You ready?” William said, walking back in with a jacket and shoes on.

“Yeah, come on buddy,” Oliver said, leading William outside.

Thea was following them when her phone buzzed with a text. She pulled out and saw it was from Malcolm.

‘You wanted to talk?’ it read.

‘I’m busy. Later’ she sent before following after Oliver and William.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, obviously here is where Slade left the show. Does this mean Slade will no longer be in the story? Honestly, I’m not sure. There are definitely a few points where I can bring Slade back later on; I’m just not sure I will. 
> 
> In case you can’t tell, I didn’t like how Sara left in the show. Because what was the point of bringing her back I season four then to just make her leave? A better solution would have been to keep her around until she needed to be written out for Legends. Honestly, it just seems like the writers keep using Sara’s ‘I’m dark and twisted’ mentality to keep making her walk out on her friends and family in Star City. Which is annoying.


	15. Andy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diggle reels from a stunning truth as Laurel urges Oliver to take action.

Star City  
Night

A truck had been crashed and the driver was on his knees as a Ghost aimed a gun at his head. However, a sonic shriek pierced the air and the glass shattered at the sound as the driver and Ghost were forced to cover their ears. As Black Canary stood on the truck roof, Speedy and Green Arrow drove up. The Ghosts opened fire and they were forced to take cover. As Black Canary jumped down, a knife flew out and knocked the gun out of the hand of one of The Ghosts. As The Canary jumped down and began to help her sister engage The Ghosts, Green Arrow jumped out, shooting arrows at them. They went down with an arrow to the shoulder.

Black Canary took out a Ghost with a side Baton to the head and then felt a Ghost behind her, putting a gun to her head. However, a truck barreled in, hitting The Ghost. The truck stopped and Spartan got out.

“The Ghosts, they’re about to knock over the armored cars,” Black Canary said.

“Yeah, just like old times,” Spartan said grimly.

As they ran off, Sara tackled a Ghost, flipping him over onto his back and pulling out a knife. However, she stopped herself from giving into the bloodlust at the last second and instead punched him hard enough to knock him out. 

Green Arrow shot off an arrow, getting a Ghost as Speedy managed her own, saving the driver.

“There are guards in the back!” the driver told them.

“We’ll get them, go!” Green Arrow barked.

As the driver ran off, The Ghost planted something in an armored car and stepped back moments before the armored car exploded, burnt money falling through the air. Green Arrow notched an arrow and fired, getting The Ghost. He lowered his bow as the Ghost went down, the team converging on the scene.

“They burned all the money,” Speedy said in disbelief.

“They didn’t need it,” Green Arrow said and they all turned to him. “Federal government sent this to prop up Star City Bank. Hive just wanted to make sure that didn’t happen.”

Arrow lair  
Later

“Darhk’s not kidding, he really wants this city to die,” Diggle muttered as they all sat around the table.

“Yeah but why? What does Hive have to gain from any of this?” Thea wondered.

“Maybe a base. I mean, they have to operate from somewhere, where better than a dead city,” Diggle propose.

“With an almost a dead police department,” Laurel added.

“No. Whatever Darhk’s after, it’s not a base,” Oliver disagreed.

“Ollie’s right. If half the things Nyssa and Ra’s told me about Damen Darhk are true, his goals are much bigger than just a base,” Sara agreed.

“Any luck with that tooth we got off that Hive agent?” Diggle asked and Felicity shook her head.

“Only that the detrition around the DNA markers was definitely not natural,” Felicity explained.

“So what caused it?” Sara asked confused.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out for the last month,” Felicity said frustrated.

“Maybe Ray will have better luck,” Oliver suggested and Felicity nodded.

“I will ask,” Felicity said as she walked off and the others rose to leave as well.

“Hey, you got a sec?” Diggle asked Oliver.

Oliver nodded as the others walked off, leaving the pair in privacy. Oliver wondered if this was about what happened while he and Sara were gone, but it wasn’t. Diggle handed him a folder and Oliver opened it. The more he saw in the file, the more concerned he was as he looked through it.

“Where’d you get this?” Oliver asked.

“From Lance, who got it from Darhk,” Diggle explained.

“John, this-”

“Is pretty definitive evidence that Hive killed Andy because his criminal operations interfered with their own,” Diggle said grimly.

“John, that doesn’t track with what you told me about Andy,” Oliver told him.

“That doesn’t track with what I knew about Andy! I guess I never really knew him,” Diggle grumbled.

“There has to be an explanation. Maybe he was undercover,” Oliver suggested.

“It’s all right there Oliver, the facts are the facts,” Diggle argued.

“All I’m saying is that Andy was your brother. He deserves the benefit of the doubt. Trust me, things aren’t always what they seem,” Oliver told him.

Star City  
Next night

Ray had indeed had more luck than Felicity and had led them to a Wolfman Biologics building. 

“On sight,” Green Arrow announced as he and The Canary stood overlooking the building.

“Cleared for entry,” Canary said, Green Arrow nodding in agreement, neither of their trained eyes seeing anything to prevent it.

Inside the building, a door was quietly broken open and Black Canary, Spartan, and Speedy quietly and stealthily walked through it

“Felicity?” Black Canary asked.

“We need a sample of the chemicals. With it, Ray can unscramble the DNA markers and we can have a shot at IDing some of our Ghosts,” Felicity explained over the comms.

“And where do we find this thing?” Black Canary demanded.

“According to their recently hacked computers, second floor, northwest corridor. It’ll be a yellow liquid,” Felicity said after a moment.

“Incoming. Four Ghosts, north entrance,” The Canary said as she and Green Arrow began moving in.

“I’m on it,” Speedy said as she began to break away from Spartan and Black Canary.

“No, we got this. You three just get that vial,” Green Arrow said and Speedy stopped.

Once reaching The Ghosts, Green Arrow fired, getting on in the shoulder. As The Canary pulled out her baton, Green Arrow used his bow as an escirma stick, striking The Ghosts as The Canary did the same with her baton.

“We’re in,” Spartan said as he, Black Canary, and Speedy entered the room.

“Got it,” Speedy said, spotting the yellow vials and picking one up. 

The door burst open and Speedy ducked, dodging the barrage of bullets from The Ghost that just walked in. Spartan fired, getting the Ghost in the shoulder and he went down with a cry.

“You okay?” Spartan asked and Speedy nodded as she got to her feet.

“Fine, thanks,” Speedy said as Black Canary and Spartan stood over The Ghost.

“Felicity, I’m going for an ID on the Ghost that shot at us. Stand by,” Spartan said as he knelt down to the floor and took off the Ghost’s mask.

Only to get the shock of his life as he stared down at the face of his brother.

“Andy?” he gasped.

Andy’s eyes snapped open and he slugged Diggle before running off so fast Black Canary couldn’t stop him.

“John, are you okay? John?” Laurel said concerned as he simply sat there in shock.

Arrow lair  
Later

“Even death doesn’t seem to be permanent anymore…sorry,” Felicity looked over at Diggle.

“It’s alright. Nothing makes sense anymore,” The frustrated Diggle said.

“Okay, it’s obvious Hive faked his death,” Oliver began as he paced. “Maybe it was part of his recruitment.”

“Oliver, you read his file. You saw what kind of man my brother was,” Diggle snapped.

“We don’t know anything, not until we hear it directly from Andy,” Oliver said firmly.

“And how do we do that?” Laurel asked.

“We get him out of Hive,” Oliver said simply.

“Oliver, why are you still giving him the benefit of the doubt?” Diggle demanded.

“Because he’s your family. You told me he was a good man, maybe part of him still is,” Oliver told him.

“I don’t know,” Diggle said skeptically. 

“I do,” Felicity said and they all turned to her. “Last month at the Lumber Yard, a Ghost had a chance to kill you but didn’t. I remember thinking how weird that was, unless that Ghost was Andy.”

“So he had a chance to kill me but didn’t so we’re supposed to forget he’s a killer?” Diggle asked sarcastically. 

“I was a killer,” Sara pointed out and Diggle opened his mouth. “I was a killer Dig. I killed fathers; mothers, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives. I don’t think you should be so quick to judge your brother until you know what he’s been through.”

“I can’t square that circle Sara. That Ghost was nothing like my brother. The man who was my brother is dead. He’s dead,” Diggle snapped before storming off.

Laurel and Thea’s apartment  
Later

Thea was getting ready for the gala when her phone rang. Seeing Malcolm’s name flash across the screen, Thea debated declining the call but reluctantly answered.

“I don’t want to talk to you,” Thea said annoyed.

“Then why are you answering your phone?” Malcolm asked in a smug voice.

“Because you keep calling me,” Thea said annoyed.

Thea walked into the living room and stared, incredulous, at Malcolm pocketing is phone. 

“I would have told you I was stopping by, but you aren’t taking my calls,” Malcolm said and Thea glowered at him as she pocketed her phone.

“What do you want?” she demanded.

“The real question is what do you want? Last week you called me, said you wanted to tell me something. Since then you’ve ignored all my attempts to get in touch,” Malcolm pointed out.

“I did reach out to you,” Thea acknowledged. “I thought you could help me with something. But after talking with Ollie, I remembered something: your help always comes at a cost. Because you only look out for yourself.”

“That is not true,” Malcolm denied and Thea rolled her eyes.

“Why don’t you tell that to Sara, who died because of you? Why don’t you tell that to Ollie, who was Star City’s most wanted because of you? Why don’t you tell that to Roy, who faked his death and is on the run, because of you? You seeing a pattern here dad? It’s your fault, all of this. You may care about me, but I will always come a distant second to your self-preservation,” Thea snarled before pushing passed him leaving a seething Malcolm behind.

Star City  
Later

Oliver walked through the crowd, seeing Diggle and was concerned. It was clear Diggle wasn’t really in a good head space at the moment.

“Alex hired a secret security detail if you want to sit this one out,” Oliver offered and Diggle nodded.

“I’ll be at the bar,” Diggle said as he walked off.

“He’s not doing great,” Laurel said as she walked up to him.

“His brother who he though was dead is still alive. I think you can relate,” Oliver said but Laurel shook her head.

“It’s more than that. I think being in charge is getting to him,” Laurel said and he looked over at her, raising an eyebrow. “Did Thea tell you what happened while you and Sara were off with Slade?”

“She said that she had an encounter with Damien Darhk, but not much else,” Oliver said and Laurel sighed.

“His plan to get Ray out involved Thea using herself as bait and me distracting the Ghosts while he, Felicity, and her assistant resized Ray,” Laurel said and Oliver stared at her, stunned disbelief on his face. “Thea and I nearly got killed because of John’s bad plan. John, he’s a great soldier, but he’s not cut out to be a leader. You need to do something Ollie.”

“Like what exactly Laurel?” Oliver asked, wondering what exactly she wanted from him.

“The name of the team is Team Arrow, not Team Spartan. We all know you should be leader Ollie. You allowed John to be leader because you just came back and didn’t want to step on his toes because John couldn’t get over himself to see why you did what you did. Well, he has. You need to do something before John’s bad decisions actually do get someone killed,” Laurel told him earnestly and Oliver was silent.

“Been a while since I’ve seen you that passionate about something. It’s a good look on you,” Oliver said and Laurel shook her head, laughing out of exasperation and amusement.

“There he is!” Thea said as she and Alex rushed up to Oliver.

“You ready for this?” Alex asked.

“Let’s find out,” Oliver said as he walked up to the podium. “Excuse me. Thank you all for coming tonight. It is our great privilege to be here tonight to honor the Star City Police Department. These are a group of men and women who risk their lives for us on a daily basis. Never been an easy job, and it has certainly never been more difficult than it is right now in our city. These are the people that keep our streets safe; who watch over us. They protect us. For that, I'm grateful. And so is the rest of Star City.”

Oliver turned to the officers sitting behind him and began to clap. Soon, everyone else joined in on his applause. Oliver then walked off the stage, Quentin getting up and following.

“Not bad. Not as good as the Green Arrow’s, but not bad,” Quentin told him.

“Yeah? Maybe I should get him to endorse me,” Oliver said and Quentin laughed. “Look, I need a favor. A location of one of Darhk’s foot soldiers.”

“Could be a little difficult. Darhk called me into his office this morning, had a little chat about how he doesn’t trust me anymore,” Quentin explained and Oliver turned to him.

“Wait, are you in danger?” Oliver demanded.

“I hope not but listen. When I was there, I saw something about a piece of paper about slip fifty-two down at the docks. Now, if the Ghosts are there, maybe the one you’re looking for will be there to,” Quentin told him.

Oliver nodded and walked off, greeting other people out in the hall when a voice that made his blood run cold spoke up behind him.

“Mr. Queen, huge fan.”

Oliver plastered a smile on his face and turned around to face the owner of the voice.

“Thank you Mr?” Oliver asked as he shook the offered hand.

“Darhk. I have some ideas about your campaign. Do you have a minute?” Darhk asked politely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come on, how could I not stop it there?
> 
> I think Diggle is a great soldier, but it has been shown repeatedly that he is not qualified to be leader of a team of vigilantes. Diggle is a better foot soldier than a general.


	16. Question of leadership

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Thea have tense confrontation with Malcolm as Oliver and Diggle learn more about The Ghosts. Diggle and Laurel argue, causing Oliver to propose a solution.

Star City  
Night

Oliver tried desperately to keep a straight face as Darhk tried to sell him on a pitch of them working together. He really wished he had an arrow right now. 

“Well, that’s all well and good but I am running unopposed,” Oliver said as Darhk smiled. “So I’m not sure how you can help me win.”

“Oh, it’s not about winning. It’s about how much we can accomplish if we worked together,” Darhk told him.

“Right,” Oliver said lowly fighting to keep his poker face.

“And, not to sound indelicate, a lot has changed in Star City since your parents had sway here. The levers of power have changed. Not understanding that is what doomed Jessica Danforth’s bid,” Darhk made his subtle threat.

“Hm. What do you want Mr. Darhk?” Oliver demanded.

“I read your press release about your new project. The restoration of the Star City Bay. Reconsider your plans; leave the bay as it is,” Darhk told him.

“And if I refuse?” Oliver raised an eyebrow challengingly.

“Well than you’d no longer be unopposed. Mr. Queen,” Darhk said with a polite nod before walking off.

“Mr. Darhk,” Oliver said to the empty hallway.

Arrow lair  
Later

“So let me get this straight, you want to go undercover with Darhk,” Thea said as she tried to process what her brother was saying. “Isn’t Captain Lance already our man on the inside?”

“Lance has lost Darhk’s trust. This way, we still have a man on the inside and Lance is out of danger,” Oliver told her.

“What about your campaign? You can’t run for mayor and be our spy on Darhk,” Thea argued.

“This is more important,” Oliver insisted. 

“What - what kind of example does this set for William?” Thea asked.

“That his father will do everything to make sure he is safe,” Oliver said firmly as he got to his feet. “William and I can’t go home because of Darhk. My son can’t go home Thea! I can’t offer my son a lot of stability in this life, but the least I can do is make sure he can sleep in his own bed in his own room Thea!”

“Well, sounds like you’re in quiet the predicament.”

Oliver and Thea both stiffened at the sound of the familiar voice as Malcolm walked over.

“I thought you decided not to talk to him,” Oliver grumbled.

“I did. He doesn’t take no for an answer,” Thea told him grimly.

“Tell me what?” Malcolm demanded.

“None of your business,” Thea sneered, glaring at her father.

“Speedy, take William and go home. I want him to sleep there tonight,” Oliver said and Thea nodded before walking off to get her nephew.

“Honestly, Oliver, this place is even easier to break into than your last lair,” Malcolm snarked but Oliver was in no mood.

“What do you want Malcolm?” Oliver demanded.

“I want to know what you said to Thea to make her not trust me,” Malcolm demanded.

“I simply pointed out to her that when you help, it comes at a high price. The last time you helped her, it ended with the love of her life on the run, her stabbed in the chest, and me in the League of Assassins. For too long, I’ve allowed your toxic influence over my sister. That stops now,” Oliver said and Malcolm smiled unpleasantly.

“You think you can keep me from my daughter?”

“I don’t have to do anything, Thea’s decided all on her own that she wants nothing to do with you,” Oliver said smoothly and Malcolm glared.

“I’m warning you Oliver-”

“No Malcolm, I’m warning you! Your days of manipulating us, of inflicting your will over me and my family are over! And if you try to come after me, my son, or anyone else I care about, you will wish I never spared your life!” Oliver snarled as he got in Malcolm’s face. “Because I put that ring on your finger Malcolm. I can just as easily take it off. Now get out before I make you.”

Laurel and Thea’s apartment  
Later

“So, you and Ollie were pretty chummy tonight,” Sara mentioned causally as she and Laurel sat on the couch.

“We’re friend,” Laurel said evasively and Sara laughed.

“You and Thea are friends. You and Ollie were something more. You two will be in love until it kills you both. You’ll fight, you’ll screw, and you’ll hate each other until you can’t stand it anymore, but you’ll never be friends. Trust me…two people who share that kind of love don’t go back to being just friends,” Sara said with a faraway look in her eyes and Laurel idly wondered if Sara was thinking of a certain dark haired assassin.

The door opened and Thea walked in with, to the surprise of her roommates, William. 

“Go wash up. I’ll be there in a minute,” Thea said and he nodded as he walked off.

“What’s William doing here?” Laurel asked once he was out of ear shot.

“Malcolm showed up at the lair. Ollie didn’t want him around tonight,” Thea said to their surprise.

“Malcolm? He is alive?” Sara asked and her sister and Thea exchanged a glance.

“There’s a lot we have to catch you up on,” Thea said vaguely.

Diggle apartment  
Same time

Lyla opened the door to find Oliver on the other side.

“Hi Lyla.”

“Hello Oliver,” they exchanged pleasantries.

“May I come in?” Oliver asked and she stepped aside so he could enter.

“I’ll give you two a minute,” Lyla said after she closed the door, walking off as Diggle got off the couch.

“How you holding up?” Oliver asked.

“I guess as good as can be expected, nothing to compare this to. Well, not this week,” Diggle laughed humorlessly.

“Listen, Lance got some information for us. Slip fifty-two on the docks,” Oliver said and Diggle looked over at him. “Felicity checked it out; the whole area has been shut down tonight.”

“Think The Ghosts have something planned?” Diggle asked and Oliver nodded.

“And maybe your brother,” Oliver said and Diggle scoffed.

“Every time we’ve faced the Ghosts, it’s been Russian roulette. I’m not risking any of you for Andy,” Diggle said firmly.

“You’re not. We’re offering,” Oliver said and Diggle considered it.

“Okay but just us. Laurel, Sara, and Thea stay out of it,” Diggle ordered and Oliver reluctantly nodded.

Star City  
Night

“Gentlemen, you all come here from different walks, different paths. But all burdened with the same knowledge-that this world is diseased,” Darhk said as he stood in front of a group of men. “Fortunately, there is a cure for that pestilence. That cure, gentlemen, is Hive.”

Green Arrow and Spartan watched from the distance as one of The Ghosts walked over, carrying a bowl filled with yellow pills.

“Those little yellow pills you swallowed, they do a few interesting things, including making you cooperative. Now, I understand you all volunteered and that’s just swell. But I think we can all agree that in any chain of command, there can never be too much compliance. Perhaps a demonstration. Kneel,” Darhk said and, to Green Arrow and Spartan’s shock, the men who had taken the pills all knelt down on their knees. “The people of this city, what’s left of them, at any rate, they call you Ghosts. They have no idea how right they are.”

It was at that point that Green Arrow and Spartan were spotted, as The Ghosts opened fire. As they fled, Andy took off his mask.

“Kill the green one,” He said in an emotionless, robotic voice.

Green Arrow and Spartan dropped down between the containers before Green Arrow fired a flare arrow. It hit the ground as the Ghosts entered. The vigilantes closed their eyes as it went off, blinding The Ghosts. Green Arrow then fired, getting a Ghost in the shoulder before rushing in; whirling his bow like an escirma stick. Spartan opened fire as well, getting some Ghosts as well. However, someone threw a flare and it went off, blowing Green Arrow and some Ghosts back. Spartan rushed in, picked up one of his teammate’s arrows, and threw it at the incoming Ghosts. In the following explosion, Spartan hoisted the archer’s arm over his shoulder and carried him out of there.

Arrow lair  
Later

“Ollie!” Thea cried out as she and the Lance sisters rushed in as Felicity patched him up.

“I’m alright,” Oliver said as Felicity finished patching him up.

“You almost got yourself killed Oliver,” Diggle argued.

“I’ve been a lot closer to almost,” Oliver joked but no one was laughing. “It was my call guys.”

“So it was your call to not call us in for backup?” Laurel asked and Diggle squirmed.

“No, that was me,” Diggle admitted and Laurel rolled her eyes.

“Of course it was,” Laurel muttered.

“What’s that supposed to mean Laurel?” Diggle asked as they all felt the tension rise. 

“Just that last week, your plan nearly got me and Thea killed, this week it put you and Ollie in danger. Your calls sure tend to put your teammates in danger,” Laurel noted angrily. “When Ollie first rejoined the team, you said you couldn’t go into battle with a man you can’t trust. Well, I can’t go into battle with a leader whose plans might get me killed!”

“Laurel-” Oliver started.

“No Ollie, this is something I‘ve been wanting to say for a while,” Laurel said as she looked at Diggle. “John, you’re a good soldier, but you’re a terrible leader. You let your emotions influence your decisions and your ability to think straight. And I can’t follow you anymore. I won’t.”

“So what, you think Oliver should be leader?” Diggle asked seeing where Laurel was going with this.

“Come on John, we all know that he should be! You never wanted to be leader, you just fell into the role because we needed a leader and then you were too stubborn to really listen to Ollie!” Laurel shouted, trying to appeal to reason.

“Guys,” Oliver said and everyone turned to him. “That’s enough.”

“Ollie-” Laurel started.

“Fighting amongst ourselves isn’t what we need with Darhk breathing down our necks. But if you feel a change in leadership is needed Laurel, I think I have an idea that should be fair to everyone,” Oliver said everyone was confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The writers need to make everything Oliver’s fault is just astonishing. Because Oliver getting hurt was definitely Diggle’s fault. This was a good opportunity to learn more about the enemy and Laurel and Thea definitely should have bene called. But once again, Diggle made a stupid decision and Oliver got hurt as a result.


	17. Saving Andy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the put their squabbles behind them, the team makes the decision to go after Andy. Oliver makes a decision regarding Darhk's offer.

Arrow lair  
Night

“Alright, so explain this again?” Thea said as they all stood on the platform Constantine had restored Sara’s soul on, Oliver on one end and the rest of them on the other.

“This is something I learned four years ago in Russia. The leader of the Bratva, the Pakhan, is usually determined by seniority. But on some occasions, a Captain is able to challenge the Pakhan for leadership of the Bratva. The other Captains cast a vote and majority rules,” Oliver explained.

“Wow, who knew mobsters were so democratic,” Felicity said and Oliver grimaced as he remembered Gregor attempting to kill him, Anatoly, and all the captains who had stood with them.

“Not always,” Oliver said grimly and the others looked at him in confusion. “Anyway, here’s how this works. You want me to be leader, you stand over here. If you want John to be leader, you stand with him. And whatever the result, you accept it. No more arguing, no more in fighting, we need to stand together, now more than ever. So go ahead and cast a vote.”

Immediately, Laurel walked over and stood by Oliver’s side. Sara followed her sister and walked over to Oliver’s side. For a moment, it appeared that they would be stuck in a tie. Then, with an apologetic look back at Diggle, Thea also walked over and stood by her brother’s side.

“Well, looks like you’re leader Oliver. Hope you’re happy, you got what you wanted Laurel,” Diggle said gruffly before he walked off.

“John-” Oliver started.

“Let him go Ollie, let him cool down,” Sara advised and Oliver reluctantly watched Diggle leave. 

Hive base  
Same time

“I’ll be home late honey,” Darhk said as he talked to his wife on the phone.

“Did you find out what you wanted?” Ruve asked and Darhk chuckled.

“Captain Lance took the bait and Queen and his bodyguard showed up at the docks. It looks like Captain Lance is indeed working with Oliver. And Oliver knows his identity has been compromised, but he doesn’t know that I know it. This is gonna be fun,” Darhk chuckled.

Arrow lair  
Later

“Everyone clear on the plan?” Oliver asked as he, Thea, Laurel, and Sara suited up.

“You know, I wasn’t the first eighty times we went over it, but now I think I got it,” Thea snarked and Oliver shot her an exasperated look tinged with amusement.

“Just be ready,” Oliver said as Diggle walked n.

“What’s going on guys?” Diggle asked, having calmed down and the others exchanged glances.

“Ray was able to find a probable location for The Ghosts’ base of operations,” Felicity explained.

“These guys aren’t gonna be easy to take down,” Diggle pointed out.

“We’re not trying to take down The Ghosts, we’re going after Andy,” Oliver told him and Diggle stared at him incredulously.

“Even after you nearly got killed tonight, you still want to try to help someone who doesn’t deserve it?” Diggle asked once he found his voice.

“You don’t wanna help Andy, that’s fine John, it’s your call. But my call is that someone who may be innocent is being controlled by Darhk. And whatever the reason, he has Intel on Hive we can use. So I’m going after him, because it’s the right thing to do,” Oliver told him in a voice that left no room for argument.

Oliver then walked off, Laurel, Sara, and Thea following behind him as Diggle stared after them.

Star City  
Later 

“We’re on site,” Green Arrow said as he, Black Canary, Speedy, and The Canary stood on the rooftop overlooking the factory.

“Satellite’s reading a hell of a lot of activity for three in the morning. At least fifty Ghosts not including new recruits,” Felicity noted over the comms.

“Wait, if The Ghosts are wearing their usual Halloween costumes, how are we supposed to know which one is Andy?” Speedy asked.

“That’s what your fancy new cameras are for. A little gift from Curtis,” Felicity said with more than a little condescension as the vigilantes put on the cameras. “The infrared lenses should virtually unmask our Ghostly friends.”

“Felicity, we’re gonna talk about the tone when we get back. You guys ready?” Green Arrow asked as he looked over at his teammates. 

They nodded and the archers shot off arrows with lines, using them as zip lines as The Canaries jumped down to the ground. They all got in position as Green Arrow saw some of the Ghosts loading crates onto a truck.

“This isn’t just a base of operations, this looks like a staging area,” Green Arrow told them.

“For what?” Felicity asked over the comms.

“Equipment. Military crates marked G-6-5. Does that mean anything?” Green Arrow asked.

“Maybe they’re playing bingo?” Felicity suggested sarcastically.

“Let’s assume that’s not it,” he said dryly.

“Deadly bingo,” Felicity said in the same tone.

“We need to get an ID on Andy. When we do, you wait for my signal before you engage,” Green Arrow ordered.

“I might not have that option,” Speedy said as two Ghosts neared her location.

“She’s been spotted. Third floor, southwest building,” Felicity warned.

“I’ve been spotted to,” Black Canary warned as she whirled around, knocking out five Ghosts with her side batons before moving out.

“Canary, go assist them, I’ll handle The Ghosts out front,” Green arrow ordered, notching an arrow and jumping down, firing as he got a Ghost with the first shot.

“Able to get a visual confirmation on target,” Speedy grunted as she engaged two Ghosts.

“Waiting on visual confirmation,” Felicity paused as Speedy struggled against the Ghosts. “That’s him, you’ve got him! The one on your right!”

“Actually, he’s got me,” Speedy grunted as he put her in a choke hold.

Speedy used her bow to hit Andy, making him let her go. Then they whirled around, engaging each other in a bout of limbs and bow. They made it into an elevator and, once the doors opened, Andy pushed her out and they fight continued down the hallway. Speedy notched an arrow and fired, getting Andy in the shoulder and he went down.

“I’ve got him but he’s pretty heavy. I need a hand,” Speedy said over the comms.

“I’m almost there,” The Canary assured her.

Outside, Green Arrow fired an arrow, getting a Ghost in the shoulder. As he went down, the archer whirled his bow like an escirma stick and struck three Ghosts, taking them out. He whirled around, knocking the gun out of the hand of another. He grabbed the Ghost and threw him into another. He then notched his bow and fired, getting a Ghost in the shoulder. 

Inside, The Canary and Speedy were lugging the unconscious Andy out when they came face to face with Darhk.

“Well, this is gonna be fun,” Darhk said cheerfully.

Outside, Green Arrow fired an arrow when he looked up at the sounds of jets. The Atom landed near him, beginning to take on Ghosts.

“I’ve got this, help Sara and Thea!” the archer barked.

Atom nodded and flew inside to help.

“I can’t use my magic against you, so I guess we’ll have to do this the old fashion way,” Darhk said as he pulled out a knife. 

Suddenly, The Atom flew in and punched Darhk. The momentum sent Darhk flying back, landing painfully on his back.

“Come on, go ggo go!” Atom shouted and picked up Andy as the trio raced out. Darhk sat up and spat out a mouth full of blood.

“Well that’s unfortunate,” Darhk muttered.

As he fought the rest alone, Green Arrow notched his bow and fired, taking out several Ghosts. As one pulled out a gun, a shot was fired. The Ghost went down to reveal Spartan.

“I thought you weren’t coming,” Green Arrow said as he lowered his bow.

“My brother needed me. The green one,” Spartan said and Green Arrow smiled.

Arrow lair  
Later

“Thank you, thank you all, even you Palmer,” Diggle said as they all sat around the table. 

“Glad I could help. Felt nice to do something useful, it’s been a while,” Ray said.

“So, should I expect you at work tomorrow?” Felicity asked.

“No. I can’t keep doing the same useless and ineffective thing. I gotta do something different, so I’m gonna take some time to figure out what that is,” Ray said and Oliver nodded in understanding. “But it’ll still include the occasional super-heroing, whenever you guys need me.”

“Where are you going?” Laurel asked Diggle as he stood up.

“I have a long overdue chat with my brother. I hope you were right,” He directed at Oliver.

“Me to. John, I hope you know, I didn’t want things to go down the way they did,” Oliver said, referring to the leadership issue.

‘I know, but it’s probably best they did. You were right Laurel, I am a better wingman than a leader,” Diggle said, directing this to Laurel before turning back to Oliver. “Besides, this is your crusade. You leading it feels pretty right.”

Laurel and Thea’s apartment  
Later

Oliver checked in on William; asleep in the guest room while Sara took Thea’s room and Thea the couch. Oliver closed the door quietly before walking out to see Thea on the couch.

“Remind me to thank Captain Lance for watching him,” Oliver said and Thea nodded.

“So, what are you gonna do about Darhk?” Thea asked hesitantly.

“You were right; going undercover with Darhk is not me setting a good example for my son. But I have an idea on how to set a good example for him and fight Darhk,” Oliver told her and she raised an eyebrow.

Star City docks, next day  
Morning

“Thank you all for coming,” Oliver told the crowd as he stood at the podium. “My, uh, my campaign advisor doesn't think that saving the Bay is the right fight given the state the city is in. But I'd like everyone to know that I'm not blind to Star City's problems. And I wouldn't be here today if I wasn't confident that this program could help solve them. And the reason I chose the Bay is because it's in the center of the city. It's out in the open. For everyone to see. The fight to save Star City isn't going to be fought in the shadows. It's going to be fought in the light of day. And I promise you, all of you, that I will never stop fighting to save this city.”

As the crowd burst into applause Oliver and Darhk locked eyes in a heated stare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, as for the comment about Felicity’s tone, I’m sorry, but Felicity annoyed me in that moment. Her tone comes off as very condescending simply because Thea asked a question she didn’t know the answer to. It was very annoying.
> 
> So, I’m not going to be covering the crossover for two reasons. First is because it’s not really relevant to the plot of the story. Second is because, aside from no William plot, it would have no real differences other than to have them takedown Savage the first time because Oliver would be completely focused on the mission. So we’re going righto 4x09 next chapter.


	18. Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Quentin begin to face the consequences of their plan to take on Darhk.

Star City Bay  
Morning

“Ollie!” Oliver looked away from watching the people clean up the bay and turned around to see Thea and Alex approach.

“Hey. How we doing so far?” Oliver asked.

“It’s actually a pretty great turnout,” Thea noted as she looked around at the cleaning.

“Who knew people would rather pick up garbage than celebrate the holidays,” Alex joked.

“Not bad for a ‘hippie, crunchy campaign proposal’, huh?” Oliver cracked and Alex grimaced.

“No one likes an ‘I told you so’…except apparently Star City. Your approval rating is up ten percent,” Alex told him.

“I have an approval rating?” Oliver asked pleasantly surprised.

“Yes, yes you do,” Thea smiled.

“Welcome to politics, Mr. Queen,” Alex told him smiling.

“Mr. Queen?” A news crew approached.

“Excuse me,” Oliver told Alex and his sister before walking over to the news crew.

“How do you feel about inspiring so many people to come out here today?” a new anchor asked him.

“Oh, I didn’t inspire anyone. This is the city I remember and it’s the city I know we can be again,” Oliver said confidently.

“Thank you for your time,” The anchor told him politely and Oliver nodded before walking off.

“People are picking up garbage when they should be picking up presents. You missed your calling,” Diggle said sarcastically as Oliver reached him.

“How are you doing?” Oliver asked concerned.

“My brother’s home for the holidays Oliver. He’s in a cage, but he’s here,” Diggle said glumly.

“We’re gonna get Andy out from Darhk’s influence, that is a promise,” Oliver vowed.

Further conversation was interrupted by shots ringing out. Oliver whirled around to see what looked like a drone flying by and firing, bullets hitting the water.

“Everyone get down!” Oliver shouted as everyone screamed in terror.

Laurel and Felicity got some kids to safety while Diggle pulled out a gun and fired back at it. It didn’t faze the drone and Oliver saw, to his alarm, a young girl was not getting to safety but staring up at the drone in fascination. Cursing at her stupidity, Oliver race over and tackled the girl out of the way, barely saving her from the drone’s bullets.

“Felicity!” Oliver shouted.

“I’m a hacker, not a magician! I need time!” Felicity said as she attempted to hack the drone with her tablet.

Suddenly, a blue beam came out and struck the drone, destroying it in an explosion of fire. Everyone looked up as The Atom flew off into the distance.

Arrow lair  
Late morning

Oliver turned off a news report on the attack, unable to watch anymore.

“Any news on the victims?” Oliver asked.

“Some are released, some are still in surgery,” Laurel told him.

“It’s a miracle no one died,” Ray said as he walked into the room.

“Ray, thank you for your help today,” Oliver told him and Ray nodded.

“I thought you were just being paranoid when you said you wanted me to stand guard over the event. You’re sure this was Damien Darhk?” Ray asked and Sara, Laurel, and Oliver all shot him an incredulous look. “Okay, stupid question.”

“There were kids William’s age there,” Oliver said lowly, thanking god that he had decided to have Quentin watch William instead of bringing him to the event. 

“It’s Alex; every news station in the country is looking for a comment from you,” Thea read off her phone after getting a text.

“No comment,” Oliver snapped.

“Ollie, we have to give them something,” Thea pointed out.

“What do you want me to say?” Oliver snapped as he whirled around. “I asked people to come and help, they almost died. When we have a plan to get Darhk, then I will talk to the press!”

“I know Hive wants this city to die, but going after a volunteer event, it just seems a little overkill,” Laurel noted.

“Two weeks ago, Darhk warned me to back off my plan to clean up the bay, today he went after civilians. This is important to him! We just need to figure out why,” Oliver said as he gave a significant look to Diggle.

“Last time I talked to my brother, it didn’t go so well,” Diggle reminded him.

“I need you to talk to him again. A couple weeks in a cage will change your perspective, trust me,” Oliver told him before walking away.

Quentin’s apartment  
Afternoon

“Thanks for watching him,” Oliver said as William left to get ready to leave.

“Kind of miss the sound of having kids around. You okay?” Quentin asked and Oliver sighed.

“Don’t tell me you don’t know what happened,” Oliver said tiredly.

“Yeah, it’s a mess alright,” Quentin noted.

“I don’t know what to do. Every time I try to fight him, Darhk outplays me,” Oliver said frustrated.

“Because you’re trying to fight him in the shadows,” Quentin pointed out and Oliver looked over at him. “You said that the fight for this city’s soul was gonna be fought in the light of day. The only way you’re gonna do that is by forcing Darhk to fight you in the light of day.”

Oliver nodded, considering what Quentin was saying as William came out, ready to go.

Star City  
Later in the Afternoon

“Thanks for coming,” Oliver said as he walked over to Laurel, Sara, Thea, Diggle, and Felicity. “Was trying to figure out the best way to deal with them. Sort of think our best bet is telling the truth.”

“Best play we’ve got man,” Diggle noted.

“Hive has us outnumbered, the only way we can stop them is if we ask the city for help,” Thea pointed out.

“You know, if we do this, it’s gonna paint a target on all of your backs,” Oliver pointed out as he looked at them worriedly.

“We can take care of ourselves,” Laurel assured him.

“Let’s light ‘em up,” Thea agreed.

With a shakily breath, Oliver nodded. With his team all looking at him reassuringly, Oliver turned and walked towards the press team. Looking at the cameras, Oliver gathered himself before speaking.

“Thank you all for coming,” Oliver began. “As today’s tragedy has reminded us, we are at war. For 6 months; we have been besieged by a nameless and faceless organization that seems hell bent on destroying our city. You know them as the Ghosts. And while they may be anonymous, their leader is not. He has a face, he has a name, and I think that it is high time the people of Star City know the truth about who he is.”

Oliver then held up the picture of Darhk for all to see, making sure the camera got a good look at it.

“His name is Damien Darhk; he controls the Ghosts on behalf of an organization known as Hive. Hive wants this city to die. Now, I will be distributing this, the only known photograph of Mr. Darhk, to every news outlet and social media feed in the country. For months, this man has us afraid to walk the streets; I suggest we return the favor. We will also be setting up a hotline. Now, individually, Mr. Darhk may be able to defeat us, but united, he doesn't stand a chance,” Oliver told the news crews firmly.

Hive Headquarters  
Same time

The television set Darhk was watching shattered as he seethed.

“Congratulations Damien, you’re famous,” one of his collogues said dryly as he seethed.

Arrow Lair  
Later in the afternoon

“That should get his attention at the very least,” Oliver said as Team Arrow walked into the lair. “Sara, I want you on the hotline.”

“On it,” Sara nodded as she walked off.

“So, I’ve got the decorations for your Christmas party all set up and ready,” Thea said and Oliver looked at her sharply.

“Thea, we just waved the red flag in front of a bull,” Oliver pointed out. 

“That doesn’t mean the bull is gonna charge right away,” Felicity shot back.

“And that doesn’t mean we can put our entire lives on hold in the meantime,” Thea pointed out.

“But…help me out here man,” Oliver looked at Diggle pleadingly.

“Sorry, you can’t launch a grenade then go to ground,” Diggle pointed out.

“John is right. As much as your speech was about outing to Darhk, it was also about sending the message that you’re not afraid anymore. And cancelling your Christmas party sends the opposite message,” Thea pointed out.

“Okay,” Oliver said after a moment. “Talk to Lance, see if he can get some extra security for the party.”

Thea and Diggle walked off do that as Oliver walked off, clearly conflicted. Laurel frowned before following after him.

“Hey,” Laurel stopped him and he looked back at her. “Are you okay?”

“Do you think we did the right thing?” Oliver asked.

“With Darhk? Ollie, I know you’re worried, but we’ve survived worse than Darhk. And when he retaliates, we’ll be ready,” Laurel said confidently.

City hall  
Night

“Wow, you weren’t kidding about the extra security,” Oliver told Diggle as he looked around at all the extra manpower. “Where did you find all these guys?” 

“A friend of mine is a Seal who knows someone who knows someone,” Diggle said vaguely as he looked around. “Where’s Sara?”

“Probably fielding in a million calls on the hotline,” Oliver noted.

“She must love you right now,” Diggle noted.

Oliver smiled and was about to continue when Laurel walked in. Whatever words were on Oliver’s lips died as he stared at her.

“What, do I have something on my face?” Laurel asked as she noticed Oliver staring at her.

“No,” Oliver said as he found his voice. “You-you look very beautiful.” 

“Thanks. You look so bad yourself. You either John,” Laurel said as she looked over at Diggle, almost as an afterthought.

Oliver’s phone rang at that moment. Smiling apologetically at his friends, Oliver turned away as he dug it out. Seeing ‘unknown caller’ flash across the screen, Oliver frowned before answering.

“Hello?”

“How’s the party going Oliver? My invitation must have gotten lost in the mail,” Darhk said and Oliver narrowed his eyes.

“What do you want Darhk?” Oliver demanded.

“Well, something I can’t have apparently. Your loyalty, your allegiance. I told you there would be consequences if you refused,” Darhk said.

“You can’t threaten me Darhk,” Oliver growled.

“No, the Green Arrow is rather untouchable, isn’t he?” Darhk said and Oliver’s blood ran cold. “But the people you care about, not so much. Sometimes the best way to teach someone a lesson isn’t too punish them, it’s to punish the one he cares about most.”

Oliver’s phone vibrated, signaling a text. Oliver lowered his phone away from his ear and paled as he saw a picture of Quentin tied to a chair, a few bumps and bruises on his face, signaling he’d been attacked. 

“Let him go, please,” Oliver pleaded as he put the phone back to his ear. 

“No, I don’t want to. You see, I need to teach you a lesson about what happens to those who cross me. Maybe next time, you’ll think twice before interfering in by plans,” Darhk said before hanging up, leaving Oliver standing in the middle of the room, pale as he lowered the phone to his side, wondering how he was going to tell Sara and Laurel.


	19. Oliver's plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Quentin kidnapped by Darhk, Oliver makes a desperate gamble to save Quentin. Oliver comes to a stunning revelation about Darhk.

Star City  
Night

Green Arrow tossed one Ghost over the side of a fire escape before throwing another against a wall.

“Where is Damien Darhk?!” he snarled, punching The Ghost without waiting for a response. 

Elsewhere

The Canary pushed a Ghost down, violently kicking him in the abdomen.

“Where is Darhk?!” she snarled. 

Arrow lair  
Later

“I’m guessing no dice on where Darhk is holding Captain Lance?” Felicity asked as the rest of the team walked in.

“Not even The Ghosts know where Darhk is!” Oliver snarled the stress clear in his voice.

“Anything on the hotline?” Diggle asked Felicity and she shook her head.

“Just a bunch of bored, desperate people. People really need to get lives,” Felicity noted.

“Don’t go there,” Laurel said as she stepped in front of Oliver.

“Go where?” Oliver asked annoyed.

“Your go to place, where you say it’s all your fault,” Laurel told him firmly.

“It is my fault! I’m the one who outed Darhk,” Oliver said.

“I seem to remember that being a team decision,” Thea pointed out.

“One we were all behind,” Diggle added.

“What happened to dad isn’t your fault either. He made his own choices. He chose to get in bed with Darhk, and then he chose to sign on with you. You wanna blame someone, blame Darhk,” Sara told Oliver. 

“There’s something else that’s bothering you. What is it?” Laurel asked and Oliver sighed.

“Darhk, he knows I’m the Green Arrow,” Oliver said and they all looked at him stunned.

“You’re sure?” Diggle asked and Oliver nodded.

“How could he know that you’re The Green Arrow?” Felicity asked stunned.

“I’ll let you know as soon as I find him and ask him myself,” Oliver said, picking his bow back up. “One Ghost in this town is going to tell me where Darhk is.”

“And if they don’t?” Diggle asked.

“Then I’m going to take great pleasure in making them,” Oliver said darkly as he walked off.

Unspecified location  
Same time

“Captain Lance,” Darhk greeted him as an old friend as Quentin was dragged into the room by a couple of Ghosts. “I hope my associates weren’t too rough with you.”

“Go to hell,” Quentin sneered and Darhk chuckled.

“I believe you’re already there. After all, they call betrayal the most damning sin of all,” Darhk pointed out and Quentin glared. “I warned you there would be consequences if you betrayed me. I want to show you something.”

Darhk turned away from him and Quentin noticed a strange machine at the end of the room.

“When the Nazi’s developed the gas chambers, I wondered why the world allowed these monsters to exist, to thrive even. But then I realized the world needed them to. As horrible as it sounds, humanity needs a reset every now and then. A do-over. That time has come,” Darhk explained as Quentin began to get a pit in his stomach.

“What is this?” Quentin almost whispered.

“A little project you can thank your buddy Oliver for helping us with. You see, if he hadn’t skimmed the bay, we couldn’t get the algae we needed for this,” Darhk said as he gestured forward.

A man walked into the room and Darhk walked over to him.

“Thank you for your service, your mind, and your belief in me. You will always be part of our Hive,” Darhk told the man, who simply stared at him blankly.

A Ghost opened the door to the machine and the man walked in before the Ghost closed the door behind him. Quentin watched, horrified, as gas filled the machine and the man fell to the floor, dead.

“Why are you showing me this?” Quentin asked sick to his stomach.

“Simple, I want you to see what awaits you. You see, I’m going to make your buddy Oliver watch you die. Because if I just kill him, he becomes a martyr, he becomes more powerful in death than in life. But if I break him, if I remove what he lives for, what he fights for, then I win. And I’m going to start with you Captain,” Darhk told Quentin sadistically. 

Arrow lair  
Later

“So nothing then?” Felicity asked as they all stood around the table, Ray included.

“Just more suicidal Ghosts,” Oliver said glumly.

“Honestly Oliver, this place is even easier to break into than your last lair,” Malcolm said as he walked over and everyone turned to him, almost all of them surprised to see him.

“What are you doing here?” Oliver growled and Malcolm.

“I was invited. Isn’t that right Thea?’ Malcolm said as Thea scowled.

“I called him. He’s agreed to help us,” Thea said.

“Thea, his help always comes with a price; you of all people should know that!” Laurel told her roommate incredulously.

“I do. Which is why I’ve already paid it,” Thea said and it only took a moment for Oliver to understand.

“You told him why you wanted his help a few weeks ago,” Oliver realized and Thea nodded. “Speedy-”

“It’s Captain Lance,” Thea said as though it explained everything.

“Yes, Thea’s explained to me what happened with Damien Darhk while you were on your little road trip with Slade Wilson,” Malcolm said smugly before he tossed something to Oliver.

“What is this?” Oliver demanded as he looked at it. 

“Hive used polyphasic-encrypted satellite phones to communicate. That is one of them,” Malcolm explained.

“Where’d you get it?" Diggle demanded suspiciously as Malcolm shot him a cool look.

“I am Ra’s al Ghul,” Malcolm said simply.

“I can use that to trace Darhk, find out where’s he’s holding Captain Lance,” Felicity said, reaching for it but Oliver yanked it away.

“Darhk would have anticipated that, he’s not a common criminal Felicity. And even if he hadn’t, we’re wasting time that Captain Lance doesn’t have,” Oliver said.

“Then what do we do Ollie?!” Sara demanded, worry for her father making her irritable.

“I have a plan…but I don’t think you guys are gonna like it. Ray, I’m really hoping you have some of those Nanites left,” Oliver told the confused Ray. 

Star City  
Later

“I was surprised to get your call. On one of our secure phones, no less,” Oliver turned around to see Darhk walking towards him. “You are just full of surprises Oliver. Or would you prefer the Green Arrow?”

“How do you know who I am?” Oliver demanded and Darhk chuckled.

“Let’s just say this isn’t the first time I’ve kidnapped someone you care about. But that’s not what you called me here for, is it?” Darhk said knowingly. 

“You took Captain Lance to make a point. You’ve made it,” Oliver told him.

“No, not yet I haven’t. What do you want Oliver?” Darhk demanded.

“I think Damien, that the real question is what do you want?” Oliver said and Darhk was intrigued. 

“You have my attention Oliver,” Darhk said and Oliver nodded.

“Tell me; what’s the bigger treat, a police captain who turned against you, or me? I’m running for mayor and I’m the Green Arrow. I give myself over to you, and you let Captain Lance go. This is a onetime deal, so what’s it gonna be Damien?” Oliver asked as Darhk considered the offer.

Arrow lair  
Same time

“Okay, they’re moving,” Felicity said as she tracked Oliver’s location.

“You think Darhk would check Oliver for a tracer,” Thea muttered.

“He would have, which is why Oliver had me injected him with the same Nanites Felicity injected me with last year after Fake Arrow shot me, allowing us to track him,” Ray explained.

“It’s smart. Its something Darhk wouldn’t suspect,” Laurel said, impressed with Oliver ingenuity. 

“Let’s go. There’s no time to waste, suit up,” Diggle ordered.

Unspecified location  
Later 

“What is this, we had a deal!?” Oliver demanded as Darhk led him in, seeing Quentin in some sort of machine.

“I think if you replay our conversation in your mind, you’ll find out bargain was at best implied. And even so, bad guy,” Darhk said as he gestured to himself.

“I am gonna kill you!” Oliver snarled, taking a step towards Darhk only for Darhk to wave his hand and Oliver to freeze.

“As long as he is still alive, as long everyone in your life is still alive, you have something to fight for. I‘m going to take that away starting with him,” Darhk said before he released Oliver.

The machine Quentin was in started as Oliver rushed over, looking at the door.

“Look for any seams; they might be a weak point in the door!” Oliver barked and Quentin began to look for any opens in the door.

Suddenly, a loud, sonic screech echoed through the room. Everyone held their ears as they looked up, seeing Black Canary and Speedy on a ledge. Speedy fired, getting a few Ghosts as Spartan and The Canary rushed in, Spartan firing as The Canary whirled her baton, striking a few Ghosts. Black Canary used her Cry one more time, cracking the glass on the door before The Canary rushed in. Using her baton, she shattered the damage glass and helped her father out. 

“Come on, go go go!” Oliver barked as they all began to run out, Darhk having already fled.

They made their way to the section where Darhk had people locked up. Suddenly, alarms started blaring and the cell doors opened. As the men held inside got out, it was very apparent that they didn’t exactly want to thank them for finding them.

“Odds don’t seem fair,” The Canary said as she eyed them.

“For them? I agree,” Oliver said before slugging one hard enough to knock him out cold.

It quickly became an all-out brawl, the Vigilantes and Quentin taking out the prisoners before The Atom slammed down, punching out prison before shooting the rest with a blue beam.

“I’ve set the charges, let’s go!” he ordered.

The group fled and made it outside before Ray flipped the switch and the building exploded behind them.

Arrow lair  
Later

“You sure you’re okay dad?” Laurel asked concerned as they saw to Quentin’s injuries.

“I’m fine, a little north of pissed off though,” Quentin assured her.

“Well, the good news is that whatever Darhk had going on there, we lit it up,” Diggle said optimistically.

“Quentin,” Oliver said, and Quentin looked over at him. “Did you tell Darhk about me?”

“What, no! Darhk knows?” Quentin asked stunned and Oliver nodded grimly.

“Yeah, we can’t figure out how though,” Laurel said.

“If you didn’t tell him, there’s only one explanation,” Oliver said and they all turned to him. “When I met with Darhk, he mentioned that this wasn’t the first time he kidnapped someone I care about. When China White had William, she mentioned that she was working for someone. I never knew who until now.”

“Wait, you mean…” Thea trailed off as Oliver nodded.

“Darhk is the one who she was working for. He’s known I’m the Green Arrow the whole time, which is why that Meta attacked Oliver Queen, not the Green Arrow. Darhk has been behind everything…and he’s the reason William doesn’t have a mother,” Oliver said darkly.

“So what do we do Oliver?” Diggle asked.

“We kill Darhk. But he’s in the wind tonight, so it can wait another time,” Oliver told them.

“Well, in the meantime, we need to go, we’re gonna be late” Thea said and Oliver raised an eyebrow.

“Late for what?”

Star City  
Later

“This was all Alex’s idea,” Thea said as Alex led her, Oliver, Diggle, Felicity, Laurel, Quentin, and William to the front of the crowd. “He wanted to show the people that you’re not backing down.”

“All you gotta do is flick a switch and give a speech.” Alex explained.

Oliver nodded with a smile before walking onto the stage. As he did, the crowd burst into cheers. Oliver gave a polite smile and waved at them before it died down.

“Thank you everyone. Earlier this week, an event just like this was interrupted by terrorists. But all of us here tonight are here to send a very simple message: we are not gonna let darkness win. So we are gonna light a candle together. We have faced dark times in the last few years and it won’t be easy to shine a light through the darkness. But I hope, with your help, I can be the beacon of hope this city needs to finally come out of the darkness,” Oliver before turning on the switch and the Christmas tree lit up as the crowd went wild.

Arrow lair  
Same time

“You didn’t wanna go?” Ray asked Sara as they watched the event on the news from the computers.

“Not really my thing,” Sara shrugged.

“Ms. Lance, Dr. Palmer,” a British voice spoke up behind them.

The two whirled around to a see a man with dark blond/dark brown hair and a goatee dressed in a trench coat standing in the lair.

“I need to speak with you both,” Rip Hunter said before pulling out what looked like a gun and the three of them vanished in a flash of light.

Laurel and Thea’s apartment  
Later

“A time traveling space ship?” Quentin asked incredulously after Ray and Sara had told him, Oliver, Laurel, and Thea what was going on.

“Yeah, I figured that I should let everyone know where I’m going,” Ray explained.

“Sara?” Laurel asked as she looked over at her sister.

“I’m still on the fence about it to be honest. I died; I’m still picking up those pieces after all,” Sara said uncertainly.

“I think you should do it,” Laurel said to the surprise of her sister and father. “Do what this Rip Hunter is offering you the chance to do. Be a hero in the light.”

“Dad?” Sara asked as she looked over at Quentin.

“Baby, whatever you decide, I’ll support you,” Quentin said as he got to his feet, taking his youngest into his arms.

“If you decide to go, I have something for you,” Laurel said, standing up and walking out of the room.

She reentered the room moments later carrying a box. She handed it to Sara, who eyed it before she opened it up. Sara took out the white suit, eying it appreciatively.

“Where’s the mask?” Sara asked.

“Who says you need one?” Laurel quipped and Sara grinned.

“Just keep your head on a swivel,” Oliver said, walking over and holding his hand out to Ray, who shook it. “This Rip Hunter, something feels off. Be careful.”

“You too Ollie,” Sara said, walking over and giving him a hug.

“Well, since you’ve been compromised, I think we should get you down in the bunker,” Thea said as she looked over at Quentin.

“I agree,” Oliver said.

“Fine, I can see I’m outnumbered,” Quentin said after Laurel gave him a look that said ‘no arguing’.

Oliver and Laurel chuckled at him as Thea led him out and Sara and Ray walked after them, leaving Oliver and Laurel alone.

“I wanted to thank you, for what you did to save my dad,” Laurel said as she looked over at Oliver.

“It was nothing,” Oliver tried to shake off.

“It wasn’t nothing, It was everything,” Laurel said, walking over putting a hand on one side of his face. “You were willing to sacrifice everything to save him. Thank you.”

“Laurel…” Oliver trialed off as they both felt the energy rise up between them.

Neither was sure who moved first, but suddenly he had his arms around her waist and hers were around his neck as they kissed passionately. They began making their way, almost instinctively, towards Laurel’s room, leaving a trail of clothes along the way, Oliver barely having the mind to close the door behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not going to be the last time we see Sara and Ray, as I have plans to bring them back later on, although it probably won’t be what you expect.
> 
> I’m not doing 4x10 for a couple reasons. First, since Oliver was not in a relationship at this point in the story, there were few things I could do to make Oliver made enough to go into that kind of rage, and those things are not a route I want to go down. Second, the plot at that moment requires Oliver not to find out about Ruve just yet.


	20. Battle for the ring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Thea's life hanging by a thread, Oliver is forced to make a difficult choice by Nysa in order to save his sister's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we’re going to fast forward a bit. Since 4x11 was primarily a Diggle centric episode, there would be no significant changes there other than no Felicity plot. And 4x12, being the Roy episode, would have no significant changes other than there being no ridiculous semi-reformed Malcolm and Oliver not knowing Ruve so he wouldn’t try to make a deal with Darhk. So we’re fast forwarding right to 4x13.

Starling General Hospital  
Night

Oliver sat by his sister’s bedside, his sister unconscious. Neither Malcolm nor Constantine had been able to offer anything to save Thea and now here she was, at death’s door. Oliver reached out and took Thea’s hand, which felt ice cold in his warmer one. 

“Thea…please don’t go,” Oliver said, his voice cracking slightly.

“There’s only one way to prevent that.”

Startled, Oliver looked up to see his wife, in the eyes of the League of Assassins at least, Nyssa al Ghul standing on the other side of Thea’s bed.

“My father once told me of an elixir called The Lotus,” Nyssa began as Oliver stood up. “Capable of counteracting the effects of the Lazarus Pit. It was developed by the League’s enemies.”

“Do you have it?” Oliver asked desperately.

“I do. And I will freely give it to you on one condition: I want you to kill Malcolm Merlyn,” Nyssa told him.

“You think you can turn me into your hitman? Tell me, what’s to stop me from killing you and taking it from you?” Oliver asked dangerously.

“Do you really think me so foolish that I would have it with me?” Nyssa inquired and Oliver was silent. “I did not want it to come to this. Thea is my sister in law, you are my husband. But war knows no family bonds or friendly sentiments.”

“Who are you at war with?” Oliver demanded.

“I just told you to kill Malcolm Merlyn, try to guess,” Nyssa sneered.

“If you have a problem with Merlyn, deal with him yourself! Leave me and my sister out of it!” Oliver snarled.

“You put the Demon’s head ring on Malcolm’s hand!” Nyssa snarled and the room was silent, the only sound the machines hooked up to Thea.

“You can’t beat him,” Oliver realized.

“But you can, you have. I’m sorry Oliver, I would not resort to this if I had any other choice,” Nyssa told him regretfully.

“My sister is dying because of something your father did. I think you have every choice,” Oliver snapped.

“Thea is dying because of what her father did. I am only following events to their inevitable conclusion,” Nyssa said coolly before walking out, leaving Oliver alone with his sister’s unconscious form.

Arrow lair  
Later

“So, Nyssa is holding Thea’s life hostage unless you kill Malcolm Merlyn. I would be surprised if she wasn’t the daughter of the demon,” Diggle quipped as Oliver and Laurel walked into the lair.

“It’s not funny John,” Oliver said gruffly. 

“No, it’s not. Thea’s dying; she has one, maybe two days left. If you can save her by killing the man who killed my sister, then how could you even think twice about that?” Laurel demanded.

“I’m not gonna defend Malcolm. He orchestrated Sara’s murder, he killed Tommy, my father, I have never hated anyone more than I hate him. But even if I could kill him, which I’m not certain I can, what proof to do we have of any of this? Nyssa’s word, which can hardly be trusted right now?” Oliver asked doubtfully.

“Let me talk to her,” Laurel said and her boyfriend raised an eyebrow. “She’s my friend, she’ll listen to me. Let me see if I can get some proof from her.”

“You have one hour. If I don’t hear from you before then, I’m coming after you,” Oliver warned her.

She smiled at him and kissed him before leaving.

“Oliver, what if what Nyssa’s offering is real?” Diggle inquired.

“Then I’ll do what I have in order to save my sister, just like I’ve always done,” Oliver said grimly.

Unspecified location  
Later

Some time later found Laurel, restrained by two assassins as Nyssa and another assassin approached.

“We found her by the perimeter. She claims to be a friend,” one of the assassins told Nyssa.

“And she speaks the truth. At least until she defiled my beloved and stood idly by as I was left to rot in a dungeon,” Nyssa said in a clipped voice that almost made Laurel wince. “Leave us.”

The assassins released Laurel and the three walked off, leaving Laurel and Nyssa alone.

“Nyssa-” Laurel began.

“How is my beloved?” Nyssa asked eagerly.

“Sara’s good. She’s whole. I think she’s happy,” Laurel assured her and Nyssa visibly relaxed.

“If you’re here about Thea-”

“Nyssa, what are you doing?” Laurel demanded, unable to make sense of her friend’s actions.

“Protecting my birthright,” Nyssa said as though that explained everything.

“By holding Thea’s life hostage?” Laurel challenged.

“You say that as if she didn’t fire the arrows that felled your sister,” Nyssa pointed out.

“We both know that wasn’t her doing,” Laurel argued.

“It was a result of her decision to trust Malcolm Merlyn. The time has come for recommence, whichever form that may take,” Nyssa said roughly.

“Nyssa, this isn’t you, this is your father,” Laurel tried to reason.

“Or perhaps, this is who I have always been,” Nyssa shot back although it sounded hollow even to her own ears.

“I don’t believe that,” Laurel insisted.

“Why are you here Laurel?” Nyssa demanded.

“Ollie wants proof that what you’re offering is real,” Laurel said, seeing she wasn’t going to budge.

“A stalling tactic?” Nyssa demanded.

“Or maybe he doesn’t the woman holding his sister’s life in her hands. Can’t imagine why,” Laurel said sarcastically.

Nyssa nodded and reached inside her cloak, pulling out a small container of blue liquid.

“A sample of The Lotus. Not enough for a permanent solution, only enough to provide the assurance Oliver seeks,” Nyssa said as she handed it to Laurel. “Someone is going to die for what happened to Sara. I pray it will not be Thea.”

Arrow lair  
Later

“How’d you get her discharged from the hospital?” Felicity asked as she, Oliver, Diggle, and William stood around the makeshift medical bed for Thea.

“Dr. Lamb is a friend of the family,” Oliver said simply as the elevator doors opened and Laurel got off.

“Here’s a sample of The Lotus,” Laurel said as she held it up.

“Well, we’re about to find out if Nyssa’s deal is all it’s cracked up to be,” Diggle said as he took the vial from her and transferred the contents into a syringe.

Everyone watched with baton breath as Diggle stuck the syringe in Thea’s IV and injected the sample cure into Thea. Almost immediately, it began to take effect. Thea’s skin regained some color and she began breathing a little easier as the wound in her upper chest healed slightly, not gone, but not as bad. It was all the proof they needed.

“William, buddy,” Oliver knelt down in front of his son. “I want you to stay with Felicity. Watch over you Aunt Thea for me, okay?”

“Where are you going?” William asked.

“I’m gonna go get the rest of the medicine your Aunt Thea needs,” Oliver told him simply.

William nodded, accepting the answer as Oliver got to his feet and walked to the elevator, Laurel and Diggle walking after him.

“What’s the plan Oliver?” Diggle asked once the doors had closed.

“Killing Merlyn obviously,” Laurel said.

“But we have to be smart about it,” Oliver said and they looked at him in confusion. “If I just kill Merlyn, the League will see us as enemies. That doesn’t help Thea or give Nyssa what she wants. We have to be smart. Fortunately, there is a way.”

Star City  
Later

“You cannot be serious,” Malcolm said as he stared at Oliver incredulously.

“I’ve never been more serious,” Oliver told him honestly. “Thea is dying and Nyssa has the way to save her. If I thought for a moment that you would actually do right by Thea, I would simply ask you to give up your ring. But we both know your power is more important to you than whatever form of love you may feel for Thea. I put that ring on your finger Malcolm. By League law, I challenge you to a trial by combat.”

Later, Oliver, Laurel, and Diggle stood on a rooftop, standing by Nyssa and her men. On the other side of the roof stood Malcolm with several assassins.

“This has got to be on of your craziest ideas ever,” Laurel told her boyfriend worriedly.

“Maybe. But I will do whatever it takes to save my sister,” Oliver told her before looking over at Laurel. “If something happens to me-”

“Nothing will happen man,” Diggle insisted.

“If something does, take care of William. Please,” Oliver almost begged.

“Yeah…sure man,” Diggle said, words suddenly failing him.

Laurel, unable to form words, simply nodded. Oliver pulled her in for a gentle kiss before pulling back.

“I love you,” Oliver told her.

“I love you,” Laurel repeated softly.

Oliver smiled slightly before letting go and walking to the center of the rooftop. He stood across from Malcolm, who was wearing the robe of the demon. One of the assassins removed his cloak as he and Oliver stared each other down.

“Believe it or not Oliver, I never wanted it to end this way,” Malcolm told him.

“You’re right, I don’t believe you. And even if I did, it would make no difference. This was always how it was going to end. I remember saving your life when the Triad went after you. If I’d let you die then, everything would be different. Tonight, I correct that mistake,” Oliver said as two assassins walked forward, handing each combatant a sword. “Let’s finish this.”

Oliver and Malcolm suddenly lunged at each other, exchanging a blow of parries. To everyone but Nyssa, they appeared only as a blur of movement and flashes of steel. Oliver suddenly sent a powerful kick to Malcolm’s chest and he was sent stumbling back. He landed near his assassins and grabbed a bow and arrow, firing at Oliver. Oliver easily deflected the arrow and stalked over to Malcolm. They resumed their sword duel and, when Oliver feigned right, Malcolm moved left. Which was exactly what Oliver had been hoping for. With an unexpected move, Malcolm cried out as his hand and sword clattered to the ground. Malcolm collapsed to his knees, holding the stump where his hand had once been as he glared up at Oliver.

“Do it. You know there is no other way,” Malcolm sneered and Oliver let out a shaky breath.

“For Thea, my father, my mother, Tommy, Sara, Roy, and the boy I once was. The one you sentenced to five years of hell,” Oliver snarled before he made his move.

Oliver ran his sword through Malcolm’s chest. Malcolm let out a pained gasp before Oliver yanked the sword out of his chest. He fell to the ground, dead as Oliver lowered his sword to his side. Oliver then walked over to Malcolm’s severed hand and removed the ring from it. He then turned and approached Nyssa.

“Bring me The Lotus,” Oliver demanded. 

Nyssa signaled to one of her assassins and they brought over a bottle of blue liquid. They each held out the object the other desired and took hold of it.

“If you ever use my sister or anyone else I care about for your own gain again, you’ll wish I hadn’t you to Malcolm on a silver platter,” Oliver growled and Nyssa winced.

“I see now that…even after his death, my father still made me his prisoner. I allowed him to turn me into someone I don’t have to be. Something like this, it shall never happen again,” Nyssa vowed and Oliver gave a slight nod.

“I’ll hold you to that, if for no other reason than Laurel sees you as a friend,” Oliver said before they let go. 

Nyssa put on the ring and the League bowed before her, naming her as the new Ra’s.

Arrow lair  
Later

Thea groaned as she opened her eyes. Blinking, she saw her friends and family surrounded her.

“What happened?” Thea said, trying to remember.

“It’s a long story, but how are you feeling?” Oliver asked worriedly.

“Uh, fine. What happened?” Thea questioned.

“The cure worked, no more bloodlust,” Oliver hugged her tightly, burying his face in her hair as he shed tears of relief.

“But how?” Thea asked surprised.

“It’s a long story, I’ll tell you later,” Oliver said as he stood back, gaining control of himself.

“Come on, let’s get you into some regular clothes,” Laurel said as she helped Thea off the bed and they walked off.

“So…when are you gonna tell her what actually happened?” Felicity asked uncertainly.

“Tomorrow. Tonight, it’s not a good time. Tonight…just let her enjoy being alive,” Oliver said with a smile as he watched Laurel lead Thea away.

Hive Headquarters   
Same time

“Ladies and gentlemen, Genesis is nearing,” Darhk said as he held a meeting with the heads of Hive. “With the dawn of a new age, we need new blood, new resources. I would like to introduce the newest member of Hive. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Anatoly Knyazev.”

Anatoly walked in as the heads of Hive stood to greet him, exchanging pleasantries with Anatoly as Darhk smirked, unable to wait to see the look on Oliver’s face when he realized his old friend was working for Hive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rather than having Oliver being an idiot this episode by foolishly believing Malcolm would value Thea’s life over his power, I decided to have him go right for the trial by combat. Honestly, at this point, the reasons for not killing Malcolm just started to get ridiculous. 
> 
> Nyssa did not disband the League, as I have plans for the League later on. 
> 
> Yes, Anatoly is joining Hive. I have big plans for Anatoly here.


	21. A shocking retrn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the political debate between Oliver and Ruve nears, Darhk sets in motion a plan to sabotage Oliver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, this isn’t a particularly long chapter, but next one will be a lot longer.

Star City  
Night

Oliver, Laurel, Thea, and Diggle were on stage, Thea explaining how the debate would go when a dark haired woman approached, escorted by two men in black.

“Mr. Queen! At last, we meet,” Ruve said as she walked on stage. 

“Ms. Adams, so nice to finally meet you,” Oliver said, shaking her hand. 

“You as well. You’re an unconventional candidate,” Ruve noted and Oliver smiled politely.

“The same could be said about you. Your candidacy seems to have come out of nowhere,” Oliver said, and Ruve plastered on a fake smile.

“Generally, I prefer to keep my philanthropic works quiet, but the city is simply in too much trouble for me to remain in the shadows,” Ruve said and Oliver narrowed her eyes, being able to tell she was holding something back.

“Why come forward now though? If I may ask,” Oliver said politely. 

“With all due respect Mr. Queen, perhaps we should save the questions for the debate,” Ruve said evasively.

“Very well. I look forward to it. Ms. Adams,” Oliver said politely. 

“Mr. Queen,” Ruve said politely before walking off.

“You okay?” Laurel asked as she saw the look on Oliver’s face as he watched Ruve leave.

“What has Felicity been able to dig up on Ms. Adams?” Oliver inquired.

Arrow lair  
Later

“It’s like she just came out of nowhere. Before, there was virtually no record of her, now everyone and their mother is saying how her work has helped the city so much in the past,” Felicity told them as the team stood in the lair later.

“Anyone smell Darhk all over this?” Thea inquired.

“He’s been, well, dark since he kidnapped Captain Lance at Christmas,” Diggle noted.

“I suppose it was wishful thinking to think Darhk got scared and gave up?” Felicity said, already knowing the answer.

“Darhk didn’t give up, he’s just moved on to the next phase of his plan,” Oliver noted. 

“How do you know that?” Thea inquired.

“Because Darhk spent months trying to cripple the city’s leadership, he tried to discourage anyone from running for mayor, he-” 

Oliver was interrupted as a loud clanging echoed through the lair. Oliver stopped, looking around in confusion. The others eyed him, concerned.

“Ollie?’ Laurel asked.

“I thought I heard…never mind. There is something we’re not seeing, we just need to figure out what it is,” Oliver told them.

Hive headquarters  
Same time

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am giddy to report that phase four is proceeding on schedule,” Darhk said as the meeting began.

“There’s still some concern about the Star City operation,” one of the Hive heads said, stopping Darhk. 

“Enlighten me,” Darhk said a dangerous undertone to his voice.

“Phase five requires control of city hall, yet somehow, we’ve found ourselves mired in a petty political race to see that happen,” the Hive head pointed out.

“We didn’t exactly plan on Oliver Queen, did we?” Darhk snarked.

“No one ever does. He is impossible to plan for,” Anatoly pointed out. 

“I think what Mr. Armitage is too polite to say is that phase five now rests on your wife’s…questionable political acumen,” one of the leaders of Hive said from a video chat.

“You need not worry yourselves, thanks to our new friends in the Bratva,” Darhk gestured to Anatoly. “We now have an insurance policy to make sure no one will vote for Oliver Queen after the debate. Although tell me Tomas, how is Madrid this time of year? I remember taking a siesta in your office once. I can practically picture the room right now, as if I’m actually in it.”

The other members of hive looked away, hearing Tomas gasp for breath and the sound of his bones cracking.

“Now then, any other matters to discuss?” Darhk asked as he turned around to face everyone at the table.

Arrow lair  
Later

Oliver was alone in the lair, William asleep and everyone else gone. Suddenly, he heard the loud clanging of metal he had heard earlier. He jumped up, grabbed one of Diggle’s guns, and approached the source of the noise, the elevator. He aimed gun at the door as it opened. In shock, he lowered the gun as he stared at the man inside.

“What’s wrong Oliver? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Malcolm said, alive and well as he held a gun in his head.

“No, I-I killed you,” Oliver said shock.

“Death is but an illusion Oliver, as you must have figured out by now,” Malcolm told him.

Malcolm then raised the gun and fired. His surprise had made Oliver let his guard down, allowing Malcolm to get him in the shoulder. Oliver instinctively dropped the gun as Malcolm opened fire. Oliver ran, avoiding the bullets as he took cover beside some tables.

‘’Come on Oliver, did you really think that stabbing me through the chest would kill me?! You tried that once before, didn’t take!” Malcolm said as he fired. 

Oliver picked up a metal tray and jumped up, using it as a shield against the bullets. He rushed Malcolm, punching him and forcing him to drop the gun. However, Malcolm grabbed him and tossed him on his back before pulling out his sword. Oliver dodged his strike and grabbed Malcolm, slamming him against the wall. However, Malcolm kicked him, sending him back. Seeing his bow, Oliver grabbed it and used it to block Malcolm’s sword. However, Malcolm struck in the right place and the bow went to pieces.

Malcolm then grabbed Oliver by the shoulder and tossed him over by the computer. Malcolm approached, whirling his sword in preparation to strike. Oliver jumped up and, as Malcolm prepared to strike, grabbed Malcolm’s arm. He threw Malcolm’s arm down, making him drop the sword. The pair exchanged a few blows before Oliver got behind Malcolm, forcing his enemy to his knees. Grabbing Malcolm’s head with one hand and wrapping his arm around Malcolm’s neck with the other, Oliver bent Malcolm’s body back and, with a twist, there was a sickening cracking sound that seemed to echo through the lair. 

Oliver dropped the body to the floor and walked off, breathing heavily. He was thankful that William seemed to sleep through all of that, although his wondered when his son became such a light sleeper. Oliver had to get the body removed soon; he didn’t want the sight traumatizing William. Oliver looked back over to where he had left the body only to see, to his shock, it was gone. 

“Now wasn’t that better Oliver?” Malcolm said and Oliver felt him approach him from behind as he realized his shoulder wasn’t wounded and none of the damage that had been in the lair previously was there now. “You’ll just have to accept the fact that you’ll never be rid of me.”

“No, I’m rid of you Malcolm,” Oliver said, fighting off the strange desire to laugh as the truth hit him. “You’re dead. And I’m hallucinating.”


	22. Oliver's hallucinations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Team Arrow tries to track down a group of mercenaries who tried to kill Quentin, Oliver suffers hallucinations of past failures and a message form his subconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to blend 4x14 and 6x18, not sure if it worked or not, let me know in the comments.

Arrow lair  
Night

“What are you doing?” Malcolm asked as he saw Oliver take a sample of his blood into a syringe.

Oliver ignored him, putting the blood in an analyzer and waiting.

“Oh I see. You’re running a blood test. You think someone drugged you. Tell me Oliver, have you considered another, more likely explanation? That, after almost ten years of hell most men can’t even begin to imagine, you’re finally having a psychotic break?” Malcolm asked him.

Oliver continued to ignore him, fixing his suit jacket.

“It’s perfectly understandable. You’ve been through far more than most men. And you’re on the verge of losing the city. I told you Oliver, the city needed The Undertaking to happen, it needed to be rebuilt. But because you stopped me, the city is worse than ever. And nothing in that blood test will change that,” Malcolm told him.

The analyzer beeped and Oliver walked passed Malcolm and over to the computers.

“Well?” Malcolm asked.

“Vertigo,” Oliver said, the first words he’d said since he realized he was hallucinating. “I absorbed it through my wrist.”

“And how did that happen?” Malcolm wondered.

“Ruve Adams,” Oliver said after a moment of thought. “I shook her hand earlier. She must have taken the time to dose me with it then.”

“Ruve Adams? Friend of yours?” Malcolm wondered.

“No, not even close it seems,” Oliver said grimly as he pulled out his phone. “I need to talk to the others.”

“Here’s an idea, don’t,” Malcolm said and Oliver began scrolling through his contacts. “Come on Oliver, you’re not stupid. You know you’re not in the state of mind to be talking to any of them right now. You know I’m right Oliver.”

“Shut up, just shut up!” Oliver snapped as he whirled on Malcolm. “You are a figment of my subconscious that has been manifested by the Vertigo. You are not real!” 

“Maybe, but you can’t say I’m wrong,” Malcolm smirked. “Tell me, have you considered that you’ve spread yourself too thin?”

“What?” Oliver asked perplexed. 

“I’ve been wanting to say this to you for years: Oliver, you’re very handsome, but not especially bright,” Malcolm said and Oliver gave him an unamused look. “You may be a better man, a happier man than the one who came home from the island. But maybe, just maybe, it has made you a worse hero. You finally made things work with Laurel, you’re a father, you’re running for mayor. You’re stretched too thin. You may be happier, but what about everyone around you? Maybe you’ve gotten so good at being Oliver Queen that the Green Arrow’s crusade is suffering.”

“That is ridiculous,” Oliver immediately denied.

“Is it? This Vertigo, it’s supposed to show you your worst fear, right? A strange thing to make out of a drug, I admit,” Malcolm mused.

“You are not my worst fear Malcolm. You’re not even close,” Oliver sneered.

“I know Oliver. Your worst fear is yourself. Your worst enemy is yourself. Me, Damien Darhk, Ra’s al Ghul, we all come in second place. When it comes to destroying you, you win. Because the one enemy no can defeat…is themselves,” Malcolm told him.

Oliver was considering if snapping Malcolm’s neck again would give him some peace and quiet when his phone rang. Looking down at it, he saw Laurel’s picture on the screen.

“Laurel?” Oliver said as he answered. 

A little later, the team stood in the lair as Diggle stitched Quentin up.

“What happened?” Oliver demanded.

“I don’t know, it’s like the big bad wolf huffed and puffed or something,” Quentin said, wincing as Diggle put the thread in his neck.

“This wolf being Darhk,” Laurel said a hint of anger in her voice.

“Darhk is tying up loose ends. I must admire that. Darhk, he reminds me little of me,” Malcolm smirked but Oliver tried to ignore him.

“Why would Darhk try to make it look like an accident?” Thea wondered.

“Maybe he didn’t want to take the heat from killing a police Captain,” Quentin said as Diggle finished stitching him up.

“No, Darhk is smarter than that. Everything he does, he does for a reason. If he tried to kill you this way, it wasn’t because he was afraid of public backlash,” Oliver said confidently.

“Are you okay?” Laurel asked as she looked over at her boyfriend.

“Yeah, because you look terrible,” Quentin said as they all looked over at him.

“No, I’m not okay. Ruve Adams is definitely with Hive, she dosed me with Vertigo,” Oliver realized to their shock.

“Are you okay?” Thea asked worriedly.

“Yeah, I’m hallucinating, but I’m fine,” Oliver said as he ran a hand over his face. 

“Hallucinating?” Felicity repeated as they all looked at him worriedly.

“It doesn’t matter. John, see if Andy knows if Hive has ever used these kinds of tactics before. Also see if he knows anything about Ruve Adams. Felicity, see if you can track the origin of the dispatch call that sent Captain Lance to that building. Captain, I want you to stay down here until we know who sent you that call,” Oliver ordered.

“What about you?” Laurel asked.

“I’ve been compromised. I’m going to head to my apartment, try and sleep off the Vertigo. Call me if you get anything on that call,” Oliver said as he walked off, the others watching him worriedly.

Oliver’s apartment, next day  
Afternoon

Oliver had spent the night waiting for the Vertigo to get out of his system. He really wished that he had some of those herbs he had gotten from Lian Yu. Unfortunately, he’d used the last of them when he had nearly been killed by Ra’s and Tatsu and Maseo had saved him with them. He hadn’t had time go back to the island and get more since rejoining the team. 

Oliver was on the couch, resting his eyes when his phone rang. Pulling it out, he saw it was Felicity and answered.

“Did you get anything on the dispatch call?” Oliver asked.

“Yeah, it wasn’t from SCPD, someone only tried to make it look like it was. It has an encryption on it that has the same cipher as the Hive Sat phone Merlyn gave us,” Felicity explained.

“Darhk tried to lure Captain Lance to the hotel to kill him,” Oliver said, already having suspected that. “Do you know where the call came from?”

“Price and Forth. A bunch of other calls came from there as well. I’m guessing it’s their base of operations,” Felicity said.

“Okay, contact the team and have them meet me there,” Oliver ordered.

He hung up and pocketed his phone, walking to the front door of his apartment. However, when he opened the door, he paused, in shock. He was no longer in his apartment. Instead he was in his childhood home. He looked around, a sense of nostalgia and pained longing going through him. 

“Oliver?” a family voice spoke up behind.

Oliver stiffened, telling himself this was just another hallucination. He turned around and tried to stop the pain in his chest as he saw his mother standing behind him. Her hair was long and straight, as it had been before The Gambit. There was not the hidden darkness in her eyes that had been there once he returned.

“Are you okay Oliver?” Moira asked in concern and Oliver almost laughed at the question.

“I don’t know,” Oliver admitted.

“Don’t tell her the truth Oliver,” Malcolm warned him as he suddenly appeared behind Moira. “You’ll just break her heart, like you did when your irresponsibility got you caught up in my attempt to kill your father. The pain Moira must have felt when she thought you dead. Pain that I used to blackmail her into my service. She’d already lost one child; she obviously couldn’t bear the thought of losing Thea.”

“Sweetheart, you can tell me anything,” Moira said as she put a hand on Oliver’s cheek and Oliver wanted so desperately for this moment to be real.

“I know,” Oliver said thickly, grabbing her hand and enjoying the moment of feeling her hand for just a second. “I have to leave.”

“I thought the boat left at six,” Moira said and Oliver started. “The Gambit, the trip you and your father are going on? Haven’t you packed yet?”

“Look at how lovely she was. How full of light she was. You destroyed that when you left and got yourself caught up in this madness, forced her to believe her son was dead,” Malcolm taunted Oliver. “Tell her about the future. Tell her about what happens when she runs for mayor.”

“Oliver!”

Hearing his mother’s terrified voice, Oliver instinctively whirled around and then scene changed. It was night and they were in the field that Slade had killed Moira in. Moira was on her knees; bound and dressed in the clothes Slade had killed her in, her hair as short as it had been then. Slade stood behind her, a sword in his hand.

“I can’t die Oliver. Thea, she still needs me,” Moira said, her eyes full of fear.

“She’s got a point kid,” Slade said with a smirk.

“You know what I would like to know?” Malcolm asked as he appeared behind Oliver. “Why didn’t you tell her about Slade? I mean, Slade had multiple chances to do something to her before that night. You let your mother be manipulated by a psychopath, again.”

“It was a mistake,” Oliver said thickly.

“Your mistake,” Malcolm accused.

“A mistake that I paid for,” Moira said angrily.

“It was a mistake,” Oliver repeated. “But…I knew Slade. I knew he would expect me to tell you. That it was what he was hoping for, he was just waiting for me to tell you everything so he could use you in his plans. I thought that by keeping you at arms’ length, I could protect you from him, make him think I wanted nothing to do with you.”

“And how’d that work out for you kid?” Slade asked with a smirk.

Oliver turned away, unable to look into his mother’s accusing eyes anymore. But as he did, suddenly, he was no longer in a field. He was now in a lifeboat, with his father. Robert had a gun in his hand.

“With this gun, I gave my life for yours,” Robert said as he held up the gun. “So that you would have the chance to leave behind a better legacy than I did. But your mother, Tommy, and so many people have died because of you.”

“I never asked for this dad,” Oliver said, suddenly overcome with anger. “I never asked for this responsibility. I never asked for it, but you forced it on me! You told me to right your wrongs then killed yourself in front of me! Do you have any idea what it’s like for your father to tell you he’s not the man you think is then shoot himself in the head right in front of you?!”

“Always an excuse Oliver,” Robert said stiffly.

“This isn’t real, none of it is!” Oliver said as he jumped to his feet.

The lifeboat toppled over and Oliver found himself back in his apartment, completely dry.

“Are you okay Oliver?” Oliver whirled around and saw Darhk standing a few feet from him, a knife in his hand. “You don’t look so good. I’ve never had Vertigo myself, but I’ve heard it can mess with the mind.”

“Come on Oliver, wake up, wake up,” Oliver said hitting the side of his head as Darhk smirked.

“You still think this isn’t real?” Darhk questioned.

Darhk suddenly stabbed Oliver in the abdomen. Oliver cried out in pain as Darhk twisted it just a little.

“Does that feel real enough for you Oliver?” Darhk asked as he let go and Oliver fell to his knees. “You have no idea how much I’d just like to kill you the old fashion way. But it turns out you’re more dangerous as a martyr than as the Green Arrow.”

Star City  
Night

“Where is Ollie?” Speed asked as she, Spartan, and Black Canary made their way inside the building.

“We can’t wait for him. You two go that way, I’ll take over here,” Spartan said and the two women nodded. 

In a room, a group of mercenaries were working when the door burst open and Speedy fired as she and Black Canary rushed in. They dodged it as Speedy slide under a table towards them. One of them picked up a nail gun and fired, forcing Black Canary to take cover.

Meanwhile, Spartan had begun to engage another mercenary, who tried to get him with a hammer.

Speedy fired, trying to get the mercenaries. The Mercenaries set charges as one put three nails in a laptop before fleeing.

Spartan was knocked into a filing cabinet, being dazed as the man with a hammer walked off as the building began to shake.

“They’re demoing the building, just like before,” Black Canary realized. 

“You get Spartan, I’ll get the laptop,” Speedy said and Black Canary nodded before running off.

Speedy got the laptop and Black Cary helped Spartan to his feet once she found him. Speedy jumped through a window, managing to get out moments before the building collapsed.

Arrow lair  
Later

“Please tell me the nails are the clue and not the laptop, because there are three nails running through it,” Felicity said as she stared at the laptop.

“Yeah, the bad guys went a little crazy with that nail gun,” Thea muttered.

“According to Andy, they’re called the Demolition Team. Former GRU, IRA, and Mossad. They’re experts in specialized demolition,” Diggle explained.

“And now they work for Hive. Great,” Quentin said sarcastically. 

“I got a look at the laptop before it got shot up and there were blueprints on its screen,” Laurel said.

“So they’re gonna bring down another building. Great,” Diggle said sarcastically.

“I’ll try to get the blueprints of the laptop, although no promises,” Felicity said as she shot the damaged laptop a look.

“Where’s Oliver?” Diggle asked.

“I don’t know, he’s not answering my calls,” Felicity said.

“I’ll stop by his apartment, make sure he’s alright. He needs to be ready for the debate anyway,” Thea said as she walked off.

“And I’ll work up a list of potential targets,” Laurel offered.

Oliver’s apartment  
Later

Oliver blinked as he sat up, blinking as he heard someone knocking on his front door. He slowly walked towards the door, opening it to reveal Thea on the other side.

“You really don’t look so good Ollie,” Thea said as she saw him. “Vertigo?”

“I passed out. I’m sorry, what happened?” Olivier said as he let her in.

“Well, Darhk hired a bunch of demolition specialists. They can bring down buildings, we have their laptop but they made it difficult to pick out their next target. Felicity is working on it. Are you up to the debate tonight?” Thea asked worriedly as she looked at her brother.

“I don’t really have a choice, do I?” Oliver asked tiredly.

Arrow lair  
Later

“Okay, very carefully now,” Quentin said tersely. “Okay…got any sevens?”

“Go fish,” William said as he and Quentin sat at a table, playing cards. “Is my dad okay?”

“You dad is going through some stuff, but he’ll be fine. He’s one of the toughest guys I know. Where do you think you get it from?” Quentin asked and William smiled thinly, clearly a little doubtful.

Oliver’s apartment  
Not long after

Oliver was getting ready for the debate, putting on his suit jacket, when a voice, an extremely family voice, spoke up behind him.

“You have failed this city.”

Oliver stiffened, turning to face himself. Or rather, himself as The Hood. The Hood didn’t even have the first mask Barry had made him.

“And you know why,” The Hood sneered.

“Because I got away from you,” Oliver said evenly.

“You were never supposed to have partners. There was never supposed to be a John Diggle, a Felicity Smoak, a Team Arrow. There was never supposed to be a Green Arrow! There was only the mission!” The Hood snarled getting closer to Oliver with each word he spoke.

“I lost sight of that,” Oliver said, finally admitting it to himself.

“You are about to lose everything! And you know what you have to do to stop that,” The Hood sneered.

The Hood then vanished, leaving Oliver alone. Before he could truly process that, his phone rang. Oliver pulled it out and, seeing it was Felicity, he answered it.

“What’s going on Felicity?”

“The next target is the building where the debate is being held,” Felicity said and Oliver was stunned into silence. “But why would Darhk want to kill everyone if Ruve is working for him?”

“Unless Ruve makes it out alive, making her the sympathetic survivor. Call the others, tell them to get to the debate building and give them the likely locations of where the bombs will be planted,” Oliver said before hanging up.

“Say what you will about Damien Darhk, but he is efficient,” Malcolm said as he appeared over Oliver’s shoulder.

“This Vertigo is going to be out of my system eventually. And then you’ll be gone,” Oliver said.

“That’s where you’re wrong Oliver,” Malcolm said as he stepped in front of Oliver. “I’m not here, remember?”

Malcolm ten pressed a finger to the side of Oliver’s head.

“I’m here. I’m you. Which is why you’ll listen to me when I tell you what you have to do. The only way to save this city is to take down Darhk once and for all,” Malcolm told him.

“Darhk has been in the wind for the last two months,” Oliver argued.

“But now you have a link to him, something you can use to find him,” Malcolm said and it took only a moment for Oliver to figure it out.

“Ruve,” Oliver said and Malcolm nodded.

“She must have some way to contact Darhk. Let your team handle today’s problem while you handle tomorrow’s,” Malcolm said before he vanished, leaving Oliver alone with his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, was this chapter good or not?


	23. Back to basics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Team Arrow handles the Demolition team, Oliver comes to a revelation.

Star City, Debate building  
Night

After Felicity had managed to hack the fire alarm in the building and make it go off, forcing everyone to flee the room, Spartan walked onto the stage. His pistols out, Spartan looked around, seeing no Demolition Team, but he did see something else.

“No hostiles, but there are three charges. How about your end?” He asked over the comms.

“No hostiles,” Black Canary said as she walked in, seeing the bomb.

“But lots of ticky, tocky bombs,” Speedy said as she walked into the basement, seeing the charges. “They’re set to go off two minutes after the debate starts.”

Speedy pulled out the disarming agent and tried to put in on the bomb. However, there was a shock of sparks and Speedy was thrown back.

“Speedy, are you okay?” Black Canary asked concerned.

“Fine, but these things are booby trapped,” Speedy groaned as she got to her feet.

“Well, it’s not polite to touch things that aint yours,” Speedy looked up to see the man who had attacked Spartan earlier that night.

He tried to hit her with a hammer but Speedy dodged, firing an arrow. Suddenly, the hammer flew out of his hand and landed hear the arrow.

“Let’s see how well you fight without that hammer!” Speedy sneered before engaging him.

Hearing a beeping, Black Canary jumped out of the way before a small charge went off.

On the stage area, Spartan saw a line before a man jumped out. They began to engage one another as Spartan wondered where Oliver was.

Outside, the crowd cried out in horror as one of Ruve’s security detail went down, an arrow in his shoulder. Oliver, dressed in his old Arrow suit, jumped down, beginning to engage the rest of her security detail. As the rest of the crowd ran off in fear for their lives, Oliver punched the last of her security detail out cold before notching an arrow and taking aim at Ruve.

“Ruve Adams, you have failed this city,” He snarled as Quentin rushed up, staring in shock.

“Hey!” Quentin shouted.

“Get out of here Quentin!” Oliver snarled.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Quentin demanded.

“Getting back to my original mission,” Oliver growled as he glared at the impassive Ruve. 

“That’s the Vertigo talking. Look, you can’t do this. You do, you make yourself and the rest of the team public enemy number one,” Quentin said.

“This ends tonight,” Oliver growled.

“Not like this! The guy I’ve seen the last few months, he’s bore very little resemblance to the guy I met four years ago. You said you wanted to be better for your son, how’s he gonna feel when he sees this on the news?” Quentin asked and Oliver stilled.

“Don’t listen to him Oliver,” Malcolm said as he appeared by Oliver’s side. “Remember, you were never supposed to have partners. You said that, you did.”

“Oliver, the others need you right now. They don’t have a lot of time. You, the real you, knows what you need to do Oliver,” Quentin said passionately.

After a moment, Oliver looked over to his side and saw Malcolm was gone. Satisfied, Oliver jumped, passing Ruve and heading inside.

“Well, it seems I owe you my thanks Captain,” Ruve said, looking like she’d swallowed a lemon as he gave her a disgusted look.

“I didn’t do it for you,” Quentin sneered.

Inside, Spartan was still fighting the man when an arrow got his shoulder. He went down and Spartan looked up, stunned to see Oliver in his old Arrow suit.

“Feel like a trip down memory lane?” Spartan asked as Oliver fired three arrows, getting the charges.

“Something like that. Come on, let’s go help Laurel and Thea,” Oliver ordered and Diggle nodded as the pair raced down the stairs.

Down stairs, Laurel was dodging the woman firing at her with a nail gun when an arrow flew out and hit the woman’s hand, disarming her. The woman looked up as Oliver jumped down and struck her with his bow before firing, getting the charge. The woman looked up as Laurel approached, striking her with her side baton, knocking her out.

“Thanks. You okay?” Laurel asked as he eyed.

“I’m the one who should be asking you that,” Oliver said, reaching out and moving a strand of her hair, revealing blood.

“I’ll be fine,” Laurel said, taking his hand and gripping it tightly.

Below, Speedy was having trouble with the man until a shot rang out. The man went down and Spartan lowered his gun. She nodded before notching an arrow and firing, getting the last charge.

“We’re all clear Oliver,” Spartan called up and Oliver nodded.

“Let’s go,” Oliver ordered. 

Arrow lair  
Later

“Well, if there’s one bright spot, it’s that the debate was postponed until the SCPD,could determine that Ruve was safe,” Felicity said as she turned around to face the others.

“Like that woman needs protecting,” Thea said distastefully.

“Haven’t seen that in a while,” Felicity said as she gestured to the Arrow suit Oliver as wearing. “Feel like taking it for a spin down memory lane?”

“Something like that. When I was hallucinating, I saw Malcolm,” Oliver said and everyone started. “He told me that I have spread myself too thin. And I think he’s right.”

“You sure that’s not the Vertigo talking?” Quentin asked and Oliver shook his head.

“No, this is me. I am not going to give up on any of you, or on William, and I am going to keep running for mayor. I believe deeply in the good we can all do, together. But, in order to stop Darhk, I need to bring the mission back to basics. I need to bring the mission back to a single minded focus. I have to separate Oliver Queen and the Green Arrow,” Oliver explained.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea Oliver,” Diggle said as Oliver’s phone went off.

“I appreciate your concern John, and we will talk more about it, but I really need to take this,” Oliver said as he walked of, answering his phone.

“You have had a busy night,” Anatoly told him.

“When you didn’t get back to me, I assumed the worst,” Oliver told him.

“It is hard to find moment when you are not being watch,” Anatoly told him.

“Did you find out what Darhk is planning?” Oliver asked him.

“Yes. It is not good Oliver,” Anatoly said grimly.


	24. Hostage situation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In an attempt to stop Darhk once and for all, Oliver calls in an unexpected ally to help in the fight. When Team arrow deals a critical blow to Hive, Darhk retaliates by taking someone close to Oliver's heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics are in Russian.

Argus base

Night

 

“So, let me get this straight,” Diggle said as Team Arrow and Lyla were in Lyla’s office, staring at Oliver. “Anatoly has been under deep cover within Hive for the past few weeks?”

 

“Anatoly called me before we had to deal with The Calculator. Darhk approached him and, luckily, Anatoly keeps up with the news here in Star City, so he knew who Darhk was. He called me and I convinced him to go undercover so we could stop Darhk,” Oliver explained.

 

“Why didn’t you tell us this?” Diggle asked unhappily.

 

“In case it came out into the open, your reactions needed to be genuine. That’s not the point. Anatoly knows what Darhk is planning,” Oliver said and they all stared at him stunned. “Had a feeling that would get your attention. Darhk wants to steal Rubicon.”

 

“Well that’s good. It’s stored here, right?” Felicity said optimistically.

 

“Not exactly,” Lyla said, pulling up her sleeve slightly and showing her wrist.

 

“It’s under your skin?” Thea asked a little disturbed.

 

“For security reasons,” Lyla clarified.

 

“Lyla, what is Rubicon?” Laurel asked.

 

“A ballistic launch override protocol. Designed to stop any country, including our own, from launching a nuclear missile,” Lyla explained.

 

“According to Anatoly, Darhk believes he can corrupt it so, instead of stopping missiles, it will instead give Darhk complete control over the world’s nuclear stockpile. He’ll destroy the world, and then rebuild it in his own image,” Oliver explained to their horror.

 

“That’s-that’s crazy,” Felicity sputtered.

 

“This is Darhk Felicity,” Diggle grumbled as if that explained everything.

 

‘Um, John, Lyla, there’s one more thing…and it’s not gonna be easy to hear,” Oliver said gently as they looked over at him confused. “Andy is working for Darhk.”

 

“What?” Diggle asked after a moment of shocked silence.

 

“He’s come to Darhk’s base of operations, more than once. But you don’t have to believe me John; you can see for yourself, he’s there right now. And so will we,” Oliver said to their shock.

 

“Anatoly told you where Darhk’s base is?” Diggle asked shocked and Oliver nodded.

 

“If we don’t stop Darhk now, there won’t be a tomorrow for this city. We move on Darhk tonight. With some…help from an old friend.”

 

Hive Headquarters

Later

 

“You sure they don’t suspect a thing?” One of the Hive heads asked Andy.

 

“My brother has always failed to see the truth until it was too late, even when it was right in front of him. Don’t worry, Genesis is coming,” Andy said confidently.

 

Suddenly, a loud, sonic screech pierced the air. Everyone held their ears in pain as the monitors in the room cracked. A green arrow flew out, getting a Ghost in the shoulder as Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Speedy jumped down. The two archers fired off arrows, getting more Ghosts as Black Canary, whirling her side batons, engaged a few other Ghosts. As more Ghosts rushed in, they were almost immediately hit with black arrows. Nyssa and several assassins jumped down and began assisting in taking on the Ghosts.

 

Andy, seeing it was a lost cause to stay and fight, turned and ran. However, he only ended running into Spartan, who kicked him in the chest, sending him down to the ground. Andy looked up as his rage filled brother stalked over to him.

 

“John-” Andy started.

 

Diggle didn’t wait for him to respond, simply slugged him, hard, and Andy went down, out cold.

 

“I’m only going to ask you this one time: where is Darhk?” Green Arrow snarled as he held the Hive head against the wall.

 

“I don’t know. And even if I did, you don’t scare me half as much as he does,” the Hive head told him.

 

Argus base

Not long after

 

“Darhk has another base somewhere. But if these guys know, they aren’t talking,” Diggle told Lyla over the phone.

 

“How did Darhk know you guys were coming?” Lyla asked.

 

“I’m not sure he did. I think he was just in the right place at the wrong time. Still, it’s gonna be hard to track him down now,” Diggle noted in frustration.

 

Star City

Same time

 

“Busy night for you Kapiushon,” Anatoly said as he picked up the phone.

 

“Where is Darhk? How did he know about the attack?” Oliver asked.

 

“He did not. Darhk was home when you and your team attacked. Now he is on the move,” Anatoly told him.

 

“When he settles, you tell me where,” Oliver demanded.

 

“I try, but Darhk is not in a very trusting mood these days,” Anatoly said before the door to the car opened and Anatoly switched to Russian. “ _I love you._ ”

 

“What?” Oliver asked confused.

 

 _“I talk to you soon, sister. Bye_ ,” Anatoly said before hanging up and looking back as Darhk closed the door and sat in the backseat. “My sister. What you Americans call high maintenance.”

 

“How did you avoid the attack?” Darhk demanded.

 

“I got hungry, therefore lucky. I went to get dinner,” Anatoly held up a bag of Big Belly Burger. “When I got back, they all over the place like ants on picnic. What is your next move?”

 

“This changes nothing. Genesis will happen on schedule. But fist, I’m going to have to deal with your old pal Oliver Queen. Luckily, I know how to make things very difficult for him,” Darhk said grimly.

 

Hive Headquarters

Later

 

“Everything okay?” Oliver asked as Diggle hung up.

 

“Yeah, Andy and all the others are security at Argus. William and Sara are at an Argus safe house with Lyla. But she’d much rather be here,” Diggle noted.

 

“You know that isn’t what I meant,” Oliver pointed out and Diggle sighed.

 

“I don’t know man. I trusted him, I would’ve told you to go to hell before tonight. How could I have been so wrong about him?” Diggle wondered.

 

“We all have blind spots when it comes to our family. You should know that better than anyone,” Oliver pointed out and Diggle nodded.

 

“Where’s Laurel? I haven’t seen her in a while?” Diggle asked, wanting to change the subject.

 

“Her dad called. Said he had some Intel she might want,” Oliver explained.

 

Star City Police Department

Same time

 

Quentin was doing some paperwork when his phone rang. Seeing Laurel’s name flash across the screen, he answered.

 

“Hey baby, how’s it going?”

 

“Oh, it’s fine Captain,” Quentin’s blood ran cold as he heard Darhk’s voice on the other end. “Do you know how easily it is to disguise someone’s voice? Surprisingly, very easy.”

 

“You listen to me-” Quentin began as he got to his feet.

 

“No Captain, you listen to me. You are going to tell your buddy Oliver to surrender himself to me and you ae going to declare his little team of Merry Men outlaws tonight. If you don’t, you’ll find out what it’s like to lose a daughter for the second time,” Darhk said before the line went dead.

 

Former Hive Headquarters

Later

 

“Son of a bitch,” Diggle said as Quentin had told Team arrow and Nyssa what Darhk had demanded.

 

“I never should have let her go alone but I was preoccupied with Darhk and Anatoly and now he has her,” Oliver said in guilt.

 

“We don’t have time to play the blame game. Darhk said if we don’t do what he wants, he’s gonna kill Laurel,” Quentin said worriedly.

 

“And we’re no closer to finding Darhk,” Thea said in dismay.

 

“What about Anatoly?” Felicity asked as she looked over at Oliver.

 

“He’s not answering. I’m not sure if he can’t answer or what, but I don’t like it. Either way, we’re back to square one,” Oliver said grimly.

 

“Not necessarily,” Nyssa said as they all looked over at her. “Captain, tell Darhk that you want proof that Laurel is still alive, that you want a meeting. We follow you and then we make a move on Darhk.”

 

“We go in there guns blazing, Laurel could end up killed!” Quentin protested.

 

“Quentin, if we do nothing, then she’s dead anyway. At least this way, there’s a chance we can all get out of this alive. You know what Laurel would say,” Oliver said and Quentin sighed.

 

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Quentin said as he pulled out his phone and dialed Laurel’s number.

 

Darhk’s hideout

Same time

 

“Unless you’ve done as I’ve asked, I can’t imagine I’ll be too interested in what you have to say Captain,” Darhk said as he picked up.

 

“I’ll do it, I’ll issues arrest warrants for all of them and Oliver has agreed to turn himself over to you. But first, we want to see Laurel. Proof of life,” Quentin said.

 

“I’ll text you the address, you meet us there. And you will come alone Captain or that promise I made you nine months ago? I’ll be more than happy to fulfil it,” Darhk said before hanging up.

 

Former Hive headquarters

Not long after

 

“You okay?” Oliver asked as he walked up behind Quentin in a secluded corner of the base.

 

“He’s gonna kill her Oliver,” Quentin said as he ran a hand over his face.

 

“I’m not gonna let that happen,” Oliver said confidently.

 

“I don’t see how you can stop it Oliver,” Quentin said as he looked over his shoulder at Oliver.

 

“You can start by trusting me, please. I think I’ve earned it. You and me, we’ve known each other a very long time,” Oliver said and Quentin let out a slight chuckle.

 

“A lifetime. We’ve come a long way,” Quentin noted.

 

“It’s been getting better since the first time you arrested me,” Oliver joked lightly.

 

“You know, I’ve always been curious, how did you beat that lie detector test anyway?” Quentin asked.

 

“It just comes down to keeping your heartrate regular,” Oliver explained.

 

“I’ve got a pacemaker that does that,” Quentin mentioned.

 

“I didn’t know you had a pacemaker,” Oliver said surprised.

 

“Got it after that Mirakuru business, my old ticker couldn’t take that. I don’t know if it can take this,” Quentin admitted.

 

“It can,” Oliver said confidently and Quentin raised an eyebrow. “Because you’re tough. Laurel, she’s tough to. Trust me, it will all work out.”

 

Star City

Later

 

“Where is my daughter?” Quentin asked as Darhk got out of the car.

 

“I give the orders Captain. Now, where’s Oliver?” Darhk demanded.

 

“You’re gonna make me hand him over before you let me know if my daughter is even alive?” Quentin demanded.

 

“That a problem Captain?” Darhk asked sounding bored.

 

“Argus and Felicity are tracking me by satellite, Oliver and the others will move on us right now unless we move right now,” Quentin warned him.

 

“What is he doing?” Thea hissed over the comms.

 

“Get in,” Darhk said, opening the car door and Quentin moved.

 

“Move, now!” Oliver order and his team, Nyssa, and the several assassins moved in.

 

However, by the time they got there, the only thing there was Quentin’s empty car.

 

“Felicity, can you track them?” Oliver asked as he tapped the comms piece in his suit.

 

“No, I can’t find them,” Felicity said in dismay.

 

Arrow lair

Later

 

“I can’t believe he’d do something so stupid,” Felicity said as Team Arrow and Nyssa stood in the lair.

 

“It’s not like him. He knows Darhk would kill him and Laurel,” Diggle noted.

 

“Before Quentin went to see Darhk, he told me he had a pacemaker,” Oliver mentioned.

 

“He’s never said that before,” Thea noted.

 

“So why would he mention it now. Unless he was thinking ahead of everyone else,” Oliver said.

 

“What?” Felicity asked confused.

 

“Captain Lance knew that Darhk would not bring Laurel to him, just like he knew putting a tracker on would be useless,” Nyssa said, catching on to Oliver’s line of thinking.

 

“Quentin had Darhk take him to Laurel, knowing that Felicity could track him through his pacemaker,” Oliver explained.

 

“How long will it take you to track him?” Thea asked Felicity.

 

“If Lyla doesn’t mind me using the Argus satellite, only a few minutes,” Felicity.

 

“You know she won’t,” Diggle told her.

 

Darhk’s hideout

Not long after

 

“Dad!” Laurel said as Darhk pushed Quentin into the cell.

 

“Laurel!” Quentin said as they hugged and Quentin stepped back slightly, checking her over. “Are you alright?”

 

“I’m fine; they picked me up outside the precinct,” Laurel assured him.

 

“Ah, it does my heart well to see a father and daughter reunited,” Darhk said as they looked over at him. “But now, it’s time to get down to business.”

 

Suddenly, Darhk pulled out a gun, causing father and daughter to step back.

 

“What are you doing? We had a deal,” Quentin protested.

 

“Hello, bad guy, remember? Freeze,” Darhk said, holding up his hand and the two Lances froze. “Nine months ago, I made you a promise about what I would do to your daughter if you ever betrayed me.”

 

“No, please! Take me, kill me!” Quentin begged.

 

“Dad no!” Laurel protested.

 

“Oh I will Captain, don’t worry. But first, I want you to know…that I’m a man of my word,” Darhk said before he took aim at Laurel and pulled the trigger.


	25. Fall of a hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darhk and Oliver face off one more time as the life of one of Oliver's loved ones hangs in the balance.

Darhk’s hideout  
Night

Quentin cried out as he went down, a bullet in his side. Darhk nearly stepped back in shock as Laurel went to her father’s side. Darhk fired with every intention of killing Laurel. But, somehow, Quentin had broken free of his magical grip and stepped in front of Laurel, using his own body as a shield.

“Dad, stay me. Dad!” Laurel cried out, tears in her eyes as Quentin groaned in pain.

“Don’t worry, it’ll take him time to bleed out, just long enough for him to see you die,” Darhk said as he took aim at Laurel’s head.

“Go to hell,” Laurel sneered as she looked up at him.

“Don’t you! Don’t you!” Quentin growled his voice mixed with anger and pain.

Before Darhk could pull the trigger, the entire building was rocked by an explosion. Darhk lowered the gun, walking out of the room. With a wave of his hand, the cell door was closed and locked. Darhk walked over to a railing, seeing Team Arrow and the League bursting in, firing at The Ghosts. 

As Oliver saw Darhk and glared, Darhk turned and ran. Oliver fired off an arrow with a line, swinging himself over to where Darhk had been. As two Ghosts approached, Oliver fired two arrows, easily getting them and they went down. As Oliver ran after Darhk, he stopped as he saw Laurel and Quentin.

“Laurel!” he cried out and she looked up.

“Get him Oliver,” Laurel said in a low voice.

“Go on, go! Get that son of a bitch,” Quentin groaned.

After a moment of hesitation, Oliver fired, breaking the lock on the cell, before he turned and continued his pursuit of Darhk. 

Moments later, as Laurel was helping her father to his feet, the cell door opened. Laurel looked up, expecting the worst, to see Nyssa.

“Nyssa?” she said surprised to see her friend.

“He needs medical attention. We must leave, now,” Nyssa ordered and Laurel didn’t need to be told twice.

Together, the two women supported Quentin as they began to make their way out of the building. However, it didn’t take them long to run into Ghosts, who took aim at them.

“Stay back,” Nyssa ordered as she left Laurel to support Quentin alone. 

Reaching back into her quiver, she notched an arrow before firing, getting a Ghost in the shoulder. She then drew her sword and, in a whirl of movement, engaged the rest of the Ghosts. She stabbed one in the chest before pulling out her sword and slashing another across the chest. She kicked one before slashing another and hitting the last one standing with the hilt of her sword in his face, knocking him out. Once they were all down, Nyssa replaced her sword in its sheath before returning to help Laurel with Quentin.

Darhk was on the roof, trying to get a chopper when an arrow few out, knocking the phone out of his hand. Darhk turned around, seeing Oliver with his bow notched and aimed at him.

“It’s time to end this,” Oliver sneered.

“Oh don’t posture Oliver. You couldn’t kill the man who murdered your mother. What makes you think you can kill me?” Darhk taunted.

“With Slade, I had a choice. With you, I don’t,” Oliver said jumping down and rushing him.

Normally, Darhk would have used his magic to stop Oliver. But, given Quentin had broken through his magic, Darhk wasn’t sure what was going on with his magic. So, for the moment, he was going to rely on his hand to hand abilities.

Oliver tackled him off the walkway, the pair falling onto the roof. They quickly got to their feet and resumed battle, Darhk managing to knock Oliver’s bow out of his hands. They began exchanging blows, Oliver dodging a kick Darhk sent his way before punching him. Snarling, Darhk grabbed his arm and flipped Oliver over. However, Oliver grabbed onto him and dragged him down with him. Oliver jumped up; attempting to kick Darhk but Darhk dodged the kick. Darhk kicked Oliver in the chest and grabbed him, slamming him against the ledge of the roof top.

“Enough,” Oliver snarled, punching Darhk in the face. “This ends now!”

Oliver then punched Darhk two more times in quick succession, making Darhk let him go. As Darhk stumbled back, Oliver grabbed him by the arm and slammed him against the wall where Oliver had been moments earlier. Oliver pulled out an arrow from his quiver but, before he could do anything, Dark raised his hand and Oliver suddenly found himself unable to move.

“Good to know that still works,” Darhk said relieved. “But you were right about one thing, this is going to end tonight. Just not in the way you hoped.” 

Darhk suddenly held up his free hand and a red arrow stopped inches from his shoulder.

“You know, you two really need to get some new tricks,” Darhk told Thea.

“We did,” Thea said vaguely and Darhk was confused.

“Wh-” Darhk began.

Before he could get any further, the arrow exploded. Oliver was thrown on his back while Darhk was thrown over the edge of the roof. Hearing a splash, Oliver jumped to his feet and ran to the ledge. Looking down, he could only see the water on the edge of the building. No sign of Darhk.

“What did you do?” Oliver asked horrified.

“I ended it,” Thea said curtly.

“No, you didn’t!” Oliver snapped, whirling on her. “You think that fall is gonna kill him?! Damn it Speedy! Damn it!”

Later, as Argus was handling the capture of the surviving Ghosts outside the building, Nyssa walked up to Oliver.

“The League has searched your city, we did not find Darhk,” she told him.

“And Argus has searched the bay, no body,” Oliver said grimly.

“This isn’t over, is it?” Nyssa asked, already knowing the answer.

“Until we see a body, Darhk isn’t dead. He’s still alive and he’s still after Rubicon. No one is safe until he is in the ground,” Oliver said darkly.

Starling General Hospital  
Morning

“How is he?” Oliver asked as he walked into the waiting room where Felicity, Thea, and Diggle were.

“Septic. The doctors are about to take him into surgery. Laurel’s with him now,” Felicity told him.

“And how is she?” Oliver asked.

“Doctors checked her over. Aside from some bumps and bruises, she’s fine,” Thea assured him and a weight lifted off Oliver’s shoulders.

“That’s good,” Oliver said before he moved to enter the room.

“What about Darhk?” Diggle inquired.

Oliver gave him a look that said everything they needed to know before he entered the room. Laurel was talking to Quentin as he lay in bed. When they saw him, they stopped as Laurel stood up.

“Hey,” Laurel said as she walked over to him. 

“Hey, how’s he doing?” Oliver asked.

“I think he’s gonna be okay. Thanks to you,” Laurel said as she leaned p and kissed him. “Thank you. For coming for us.”

“I will always come for you,” Oliver promised, taking her hand and she smiled slightly.

“I’ll give you two a minute,” Laurel said, kissing him slightly on the cheek before walking out with one last look back at her father.

“Hey,” Oliver said as he walked over to Quentin.

“Darhk?” Quentin asked and Oliver almost winced.

“He got away,” Oliver said and Quentin was stunned.

“How?” 

“I’ll explain it to you after you get out of here. But we will stop him, I promise,” Oliver told him firmly. “We know what he’s planning now, we know what to do.”

“What about your friend?” Quentin asked and Oliver sighed.

“He hasn’t contacted me or answered my calls since we last spoke,” Oliver admitted.

“You worried about him?” Quentin asked and Oliver nodded. “I gotta say, getting your Bratva friend involved, seems a little drastic.”

“So says the guy who took a bullet for his daughter,” Oliver shot back and Quentin had to give him that one. “Quentin, I hope I took the time to tell you…you’re a really good father.”

“So are you,” Quentin assured him and Oliver smiled slightly.

“I had a good example,” Oliver said.

“Yeah, your dad was a good man,” Quentin noted but Oliver shook his head.

“I wasn’t talking about my dad,” Oliver assured him with a pointed look.

The words hung between them, a thousand unsaid things passing between them in that moment. Before Quentin could say anything else, Dr. Schwartz walked in.

“I’m sorry Mr. Queen, but we’re going to have to take him to the OR now,” she said apologetically and Oliver nodded. 

“Well, we’ll all be here waiting for you when you get out,” Oliver said as he stood up, making is way to the door.

“Thanks Oliver,” Quentin said and Oliver paused, looking back at Quentin. “For everything.” 

Oliver nodded before he walked out the door.

Unspecified location  
Same time

“You look unhappy,” Anatoly said as Darhk walked into the room, looking furious.

“Oliver Queen. Dealing with him is proving to be much more difficult than I imagined,” Darhk said and Anatoly fought to keep his face blank as Darhk looked at him suspiciously. “I hope your loyalties are not divided Anatoly.”

“They are not,” Anatoly said truthfully.

“Good,” Darhk said as he turned away, Anatoly internally sighing in relief over having fooled him. “Because we have a traitor in our midst. And I’m going to find out who it is. And kill them.”

Darhk walked out and Anatoly gulped, realizing he needed to contact Oliver again. And soon.

Starling General Hospital  
Late morning

Team Arrow was in the waiting room, waiting for Quentin to get out of surgery, when Nyssa walked in.

“Hey,” Oliver said as they all got out. “Did you find anything?”

“Not yet,” Nyssa said, to their disappointment. “But the League is still looking. How is Captain Lance?”

“Still in surgery,” Laurel said as Diggle looked over his shoulder.

“Guys,” Diggle called out. 

They followed is gaze and saw Dr. Schwartz. From the look on her face, it wasn’t good news. A pit of dread began to form in Oliver’s stomach.

“How is Quentin?” Oliver asked even though he had a feeling he already knew the answer.

“Captain Lance seized during the procedure. The surgeons worked to revive him. They did everything they could, but his brain was deprived of oxygen for seven minutes. He’s gone. I’m very sorry,” she told them remorsefully.

Felicity put a hand to her face, tears beginning to form as Diggle took her in his arms. Nyssa lowered her hand, putting a hand on Thea’s shoulder as tears fell down the younger woman’s face. As Laurel’s shoulders shook, Oliver gathered into his arms. He closed his eyes, fighting his own tears as Laurel buried her face in his shoulder, his heart feeling like a knife had pierced it as he heard her wail of despair over the loss of her father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It will be explained how Quentin was able to break through Darhk’s magic.
> 
> I think we can all agree that one of the biggest disappointments about season four, aside from the obvious stuff, is that Damien Darhk, the guy who had been built up as Ra’s al Ghul’s greatest rival, was a pathetic fighter without his magic. So I made him a competent fighter here. 
> 
> First, I love Quentin; I think he’s one of the greatest male characters in the entire Arrowverse. But, to be honest, I would have had him be the one in the grave. I actually would have killed him off a lot sooner, at the end of season two. At the beginning of season three, Quentin has fulfilled his maximum potential as a character. And so, everything from the plot where Laurel stupidly decided to keep Sara’s death a secret to him dying was ultimately an attempt by the writers to keep him relevant when they had no idea how to do this, something that is noticeable when you consider than his relevance decreases with each passing season. They had some great material at the beginning of season four to set him up as the one in the grave but we all know how that turned out.


	26. Fallout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in the aftermath of Quentin's death, Oliver, Laurel, and Thea each try to deal with their grief in their own way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, since the Evelyn plot wouldn’t happen, 4x19 didn’t give me a lot to work with and I’m not entirely proud of this chapter. Still, I hope you enjoy it.

Argus safe house  
Afternoon

William was on the couch, flipping through channels as Lyla walked over.

“Nothing on?” Lyla questioned as William settled on a news station. 

“Nope,” William said glumly and Lyla sighed before sitting down next to William.

“I know you’re worried about your dad. I’m worried about Johnny to but you have to have faith. They are two of the strongest men I know,” Lyla began before a news report interrupted her.

“We now take you live to the Star City Police Department, where Lieutenant Franklin Pike is holding a press conference,” William and Lyla sat forward as the screen showed Pike take a podium, worried something may have happened.

“It is with great sorrow and regret that I am here to inform you that Star City Police Captain Quentin Lance, after having been admitted to Starling General earlier with a bullet wound, was pronounced dead at 10: 52 A.M. this morning. The assailant who shot Captain Lance has been identified as Damien Darhk, the man who has been alleged to lead The Ghosts. Mr. Darhk is to be considered armed and extremely dangerous.”

Arrow lair  
Not long after

“Yeah buddy, I’ll let Laurel know you’re thinking of her. Okay, I’ll talk to you soon. I love you to,” Oliver said before ending his call with William.

“I’m guessing you got a call from William like I got one from Lyla?” Diggle said as he walked in and Oliver nodded.

“Yeah, he saw Pike’s press conference,” Oliver sighed.

“This just feels like a bad dream. I keep waiting to wake up but…this isn’t a dream,” Diggle sighed as well. “Where is everyone?”

“Thea took Laurel home; Nyssa is out with the League, searching for Darhk. Felicity’s at Argus, seeing if she can help,” Oliver ran a hand over his face.

“Oliver, you can’t blame yourself man,” Diggle was quick to tell him.

“I don’t. I blame him. I need some air,” Oliver said gruffly, walking off before Diggle could say more.

Laurel and Thea’s apartment  
Late afternoon

Thea watched Laurel, curled up in a ball on her bed as her crying had finally knocked the lawyer out. Thea closed the door gently before her phone rang. Pulling it out, she saw ‘unknown caller’ flash across the screen and answered.

“Hello?” she answered cautiously.

“Hey, it’s me,” Thea nearly dropped the phone at the sound of Roy’s voice. “I heard about Captain Lance. How’s she doing?”

“Not good. None of us are,” Thea sighed. “This is my fault.”

“What?” Roy asked confused.

“Not Captain Lance dying, but Damien Darhk still being alive,” Thea clarified. “Ollie was in trouble and I used an explosive arrow to knock Darhk off the roof. I should have taken a kill shot.”

“You can’t play what ifs. You’ll drive yourself crazy. Just look at Olive,” Roy joked weakly and Thea couldn’t help the smile that crossed her face.

Arrow lair, next day  
Morning

“Thank you all for coming,” Oliver said as Diggle, Felicity, and Thea walked into the lair.

“No Laurel?” Felicity noted and Oliver shook his head.

“In the state of mind she’s in…I’m not sure she’d be much help. Darhk is in the wind and as much as I’m sure we’d all like to crawl up in our own grief-” Oliver started.

“We need to get that son of a bitch,” Diggle said darkly and Oliver nodded.

“But how? Darhk’s gone to ground. Unless Anatoly called you back,” Felicity said hopefully but Oliver shook his head.

“Not yet. In the meantime, I say we join the League in searching the city,” Oliver got to his feet.

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Diggle agreed.

“I think I’m gonna stay here for now,” Thea said and Oliver nodded in understanding.

Laurel and Thea’s apartment  
Same time

“Thank you for coming,” Laurel said as she greeted Nyssa in the living room.

“I feel I lack the words to convey the true depths of my sympathy. The world will be a darker place without your father,” Nyssa said.

“Nyssa, I know you destroyed the pit, but Ra’s was a paranoid maniac. He had to have another, right?” Laurel said desperately.

“If he did, he never told anyone about it. Laurel, I am sorry…but your father is gone,” Nyssa said gently.

“No, I can’t accept that. I won’t,” Laurel snapped before storming passed her, leaving Nyssa staring after her in concern.

Oliver’s campaign office  
Late afternoon

“Alex, I don’t want to hear it,” Oliver snapped as his political strategist followed him.

“Oliver, I know it’s a bad time, but the public is going to want a statement on your opinion of Captain Lance’s death,” Alex said apologetically.

“He’s isn’t even in the ground yet Alex. I’ll give them one when I am good and ready,” Oliver growled before closing the door to his office, keeping Alex out.

“Having a bad day?”

Oliver paled as he heard the voice. Telling himself it was impossible, Oliver turned around to face Malcolm, who was sitting at his desk.

“You’re dead. I’m hallucinating again. You-You are a manifestation of my grief,” Oliver said and Malcolm smirked.

“No drugs this time Oliver. Just you,” Malcolm said, gesturing to his temple.

“What do you want Malcolm?” Oliver asked, turning away from him. 

“It’s not what I want, it’s what you want. You want to stop Darhk; you want to save the city. But you failed. Just like you failed Captain Lance,” Malcolm pointed out cruelly.

“I tried to save him!” Oliver snapped.

“But you couldn’t. Just like you couldn’t save your mother, Tommy, Yao-Fei, Shado, Akio, and Samantha. For a hero Oliver, you sure let a lot of people die,” Malcolm said sadistically. 

In a snarl of rage, Oliver rushed Malcolm. However, Malcolm seemed to vanish and appear behind him.

“Whether you like it or not, you’ll never be rid of me Oliver. I’m right here,” Malcolm said, gesturing to his head before vanishing, leaving Oliver alone.

Oliver’s phone then rang. With a sigh, Oliver pulled it out and, seeing it was Felicity, answered it.

“Anything on Darhk?” Oliver asked hopefully.

“No, but I think we have a problem. Lyla called, asking for John and Thea was supposed to be visiting William. But Lyla says she isn’t there,” Felicity said and Oliver’s blood ran cold.

“I think I know where she went,” Oliver said, hanging up.

Star City  
Night

Ruve Darhk was leaving her campaign office when someone jumped down from the roof. Speedy fired two arrows, getting Ruve’s security in the shoulder. As the two men in suits went down, Ruve looked confused as Speedy stalked towards.

“What are you doing? I am-” Ruve began.

Having had enough of her, Speedy whirled her bow and wacked Ruve across the face, causing her to go down, holding her face.

“Get up!” Speedy snarled and Ruve pulled herself to her feet, looking terrified. “Where is Damien Darhk!?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Ruve said and Speedy sneered.

“Fine, have it your way. Maybe you can give him a message for me,” speedy sneered reached back into her quiver and pulling out an arrow, notching it and taking aim at Ruve. “Let him know I’m done playing his games.”

Before she could fire, a green arorow flew out, knocking the bow nad arrow out of her hands. AS the weapons fell harmlessly to the ground, Speedy looked p tooo see Green Arrow.

“Get away from her Speedy,” Oliver said as Ruve ran off.

“Stay out of this Oliver!” Thea sneered.

“What do you think you are doing?” Oliver demanded.

“Going after Damien Darhk’s newest proxy!” she snapped.

“Who is running for mayor! Damn it Speedy, are you trying to turn the whole city against us?!” Oliver snapped.

“I don’t care! Damien Darhk killed Quentin and he is still out there!” Thea snarled.

“I know! But this is not gonna bring him back!” Oliver snapped and there was silence between the two siblings. “He’s is gone Thea and he’s not coming back. But if he were here, he would tell you not to become blinded by rage as he did. We can’t stop Darhk by becoming them.”

Oliver then turned and walked off, leaving Speedy to think on his words. As he walked off, his phone rang. Seeing it was Nyssa, he answered it.

“Yeah?”

Oliver’s loft  
Later

“Her grief is sharpened by denial. I fear Laurel’s inability to accept reality will cause her to take desperate action, as it did once before,” Nyssa said and Oliver sighed.

“Thank you for letting me know, I will talk to her,” Oliver promised.

“Oliver…are you alright?” Nyssa asked concerned and Oliver sighed.

“My friend was murdered by the madman I am currently powerless to stop. After everything he sacrificed for this city…it just doesn’t seem right,” Oliver said before getting up and walking out of his home.

Laurel and Thea’s apartment  
Not long after

Laurel was getting ready to leave when the door opened. She looked up to see Oliver close the door behind him.

“So Nyssa told you? Somehow I’m not surprised. If you aren’t here to help me, then get out of my way,” Laurel snapped.

“I am helping you Laurel. I remember exactly what it’s like to lose my father,” Oliver told her.

“He didn’t die for you, so no; you don’t know what I’m feeling!” Laurel snapped as she took a step forward.

“Yes, he did,” Laurel stopped as Oliver spoke. “What I told the courts about what happened…that was a lie. When the Gambit went down, my father made it to a life boat, he pulled me in. It was the two of us and a crew member, enough food and water for maybe one person. We drifted for days until my dad pulled out a gun. He shot the crew member, told me to survive, and then shot himself in the head. He sacrificed himself so that I could live, exactly like Quentin did for you. So yeah, I understand the guilt, the grief. Laurel, if there was any way to bring him back, I would find it and I would do it. But there isn’t.”

“You don’t know that!” Laurel snapped as she stormed over to him. “With all the things we have seen, there has to be a way! There has to…there isn’t. He’s gone. He’s…”

Laurel suddenly swayed on her feet and Oliver caught her as she dropped the bag over her shoulder to the floor. She collapsed into him, sobbing into his shoulder as the denial in her head finally faded.


	27. The funeral

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> See title.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this isn’t a very long chapter, this was originally going to be part of last chapter but the scene with Oliver and Laurel just felt like a really great stopping point. Hope you enjoy this.

A few days had passed and things weren’t looking any better. While the death of Quentin had made Darhk Star City’s most wanted, the SCPD were having as much luck locating him as Team Arrow and the League were. Which was none at all.

Laurel after finally accepting that her father as gone and not coming back had been rather subdued. Oliver, Thea, and Nyssa were trying their best to keep an eye on her while not making her feel smothered. Laurel had thrown all her energy into planning Quentin’s funeral, trying to keep busy.

Which brought them to today. 

Star City Cemetery  
Morning

“The entire police department must be here,’ Diggle mentioned to Oliver as they looked around at all the cops entering the cemetery with their families.

“Quentin was very well respected within the SCPD, has been since Laurel and I were kids,” Oliver said absently as he saw Laurel talking to Jeanie Hilton, the widow of Quentin’s old partner Lucas. 

“If you ever need anything, you’re more than welcome at our house sweetie,” Jeanie told Laurel and Laurel flashed her a tight smile filled with sadness.

“Thank you Jeanie,” Laurel said trying to sound grateful.

Jeanie seemed to understand that she wanted to be left alone and so, with one last hug, she left Laurel by herself. 

“Ms. Lance,” Laurel turned around to see Pike approaching her. “On behalf of the SCPD, I would just like to say how sorry I am for your loss. Quentin was a good man.”

“Yes, he was,” Laurel said with a tight smile.

“I promise you, we will get this son of a bitch,” Pike promised.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep Lieutenant,” Laurel said in a clipped voice. 

Sensing her dismissal, Pike simply nodded before walking off.

“You doing okay?” Thea asked as she walked up to Laurel.

“Just trying to get through this,” Laurel said simply and Thea nodded.

“I get it. But I hope you know, we’re here for you,” Thea said and Laurel flashed her first genuine smile since her father had died.

“I know. Thank you,” Laurel told her gratefully.

“Mr. Queen would like to say a few words,” the priest said, stopping all conversations going on.

Oliver stepped forward, taking a deep breath before beginning to speak.

“This, uh, doesn’t seem right. I knew Quentin Lance for…what feels like my whole life. In some ways, he was more of a father to me than Robert Queen. Before he died, I was lucky enough to be able to tell him that. Quentin Lance became a police officer to uphold the rule of law, to fight for those who could not fight for themselves. If he were here…he would expect all of us to follow the example that he set. He would expect us to save our city,” Oliver finished firmly as he stepped back.

Laurel put a hand to her face, trying not to cry as Thea took her hand. Oliver stepped back over to Diggle, who nodded in approval as Nyssa simply looked at the casket. The rest of the funeral passed in silence except for the priest giving Quentin last rights.

“…Quentin Larry Lance, may you rest in peace,” the priest finished as the casket lowered itself into the ground.

Laurel lowered her head, her shoulders shaking as she silently sobbed. Thea wrapped her arm around her, trying not to break down herself. Oliver put a hand over his mouth, trying to control his own emotions. Everyone began leaving to long after and Laurel, her cheeks still wet from crying, made her way over to Oliver.

“Thank you,” she said emotionally as she hugged him. “Thank you.”

Oliver didn’t say anything, simply wrapped his arms around her, hoping he had brought her some measure of comfort. Thea and Nyssa escorted Laurel out with everyone else and Diggle looked over at Oliver when he noticed that Oliver wasn’t moving.

“You go on John, I’m gonna stay here for a little longer,” Oliver answered his unasked question.

Diggle nodded before turning and following after everyone else. Soon enough, Oliver was left alone, standing in front of Quentin’s grave. He heard someone approach but didn’t react. He recognized the pattern of steps well enough to know who it was.

“Sorry I missed the funeral,” Barry told him as he stepped up next to him.

“Zoom?” Oliver asked and Barry nodded. “There was a time that I would’ve thought this was my fault, that I brought this darkness upon us. Now I know it’s not my fault. It’s my responsibility.”

“Responsibility to do what?”

“To end it. I’m gonna kill him,” Oliver said through gritted teeth.

“Is there anything I can do?” Barry asked.

“I’d like to be left alone,” Oliver told him.

Barry nodded before turning and speeding off. 

“Do you really think you can?” 

Oliver sighed as he looked over to his other side, where Malcolm seemed to have appeared out of thin air. 

“Do you really think you can kill Damien Darhk?” Malcolm asked. 

“I have to, otherwise Quentin died for nothing,” Oliver told him.

“Look how long it took you to kill me. That’s your problem Oliver; it’s always been your problem. You never act! Never! You want to save this city? It’s time to start acting like it. No half measures Oliver, none at all. If you hesitate, even for a moment, Darhk will kill you. Which means you can’t hesitate either. It’s time to end this Oliver,” Malcolm said before disappearing, leaving Oliver to ponder his words.


	28. Brother against brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Realizing Anatoly is in danger, Oliver, Nyssa, and Team arrow head to Darhk's now base to save him only to get thrown another curve ball. Sara returns to a devastating loss.

Arrow lair  
Morning

Oliver was working out his frustrations on a training dummy. It had been a week since Quentin’s funeral and there had been no progress on finding Darhk, even with the League, Argus, and the SCPD searching for him. And it was obvious each of them was feeling the tension. The only comfort Oliver took was that Darhk had yet to locate Lyla and that, because of Oliver and Thea’s attacks on Ruve and Quentin’s death, the city council had decided to delay the election. It took place in two days and it was the furthest thing from Oliver’s mind with Darhk still out there. 

Oliver’s thought process was interrupted by his phone ringing. Oliver stopped, grabbing a towel and walking over to his phone. He picked it up and his heart skipped a beat when he saw Anatoly’s name flash across the screen. 

“Anatoly?” Oliver immediately answered.

“I am sorry that I haven’t called, Darhk is not so trusting of me these days,” Anatoly said apologetically.

“Never mind that, where is Darhk now?” Oliver demanded.

“Darhk has secret base, even more secret than one you took. He-”

“Anatoly? Anatoly?” Oliver cried out in concern when Anatoly stopped speaking.

Unspecified location  
Same time

Anatoly gasped for breath as Darhk used his magic to suffocate him.

“I knew you were the spy,” Darhk said, a look of anger on his face. “I should kill you right now for betraying me…but I need you. You’re going to help me finally put down your buddy Oliver, once and for all.”

Arrow lair  
Not long after

“Darhk has another secret base?” Diggle asked as Team arrow and Nyssa stood in the lair as Felicity attempted to trace Anatoly’s call.

“That’s what Anatoly said. Were you able to trace his call?” Oliver asked.

“Well, the processer from Palmer Tech is helping me do that. Got it, Anatoly’s call came from Berkley and Childress, right in the heart of The Glades,” Felicity told them.

“Then we head there now, suit up,” Oliver ordered.

As Diggle and Thea walked off to change, Oliver put a hand on Laurel’s shoulder, stopping her.

“Are you sure you can handle this?” Oliver inquired. 

“Ollie, Damien Darhk killed my father,” Laurel pointed out.

“I know, and I’m going to kill him for it. But I can’t do that if I’m worried about you losing control. Can you handle this?” Oliver asked. 

“Yes,” Laurel said confidently.

Oliver stared at her, measuring if she was being truthful or not. Then, Oliver nodded, lowering his and to his side.

“Suit up and call Nyssa, tell her to meet us there,” Oliver ordered and she nodded as she moved off to change.

Star City  
Late morning

“Are you sure this is the right place?” Nyssa asked Felicity over the comms as she and the four vigilantes stood on an empty street.

“There’s nothing here,” Laurel agreed.

“That’s impossible,” Felicity said after a moment.

“It’s just an empty street,” Oliver added.

“Look for something out of place. If we’re going by Hive’s MO, then whatever it is has to be something recent, something new,” Felicity told them. 

“Is there supposed to be sewer access on this street?” Oliver asked as he spotted a sewer hatch.

“Not according to city plans,” Felicity said.

Oliver notched an arrow and fired, getting the hatch. The bars flew off, falling down and they heard them hit something. They all gathered around the hatch and saw a hallway below the street.

Unspecified location  
Shortly after

Darhk was walking down the street with his family when his radio went off.

“Go ahead,” Darhk said as he answered.

“Sir, five hostiles have been spotted in the north entrance. One wearing green, another red, and the three wearing back. Should I stop them?”

“No, let them through. I’ll deal with them myself,” Darhk ended the call and turned to Ruve. “It looks like Oliver Queen has come for his Bratva buddy. Take Nora to the command center while I deal with this pest once and for all.”

“How did Hive build al this without anyone knowing?” Diggle asked as Team Arrow and Nyssa walked down the hall.

“How does Hive do anything?” Thea challenged and Diggle nodded, conceding.

“There are no blueprints for a creepy evil lair with a sewer entrance,” Felicity said over the comms.

Seeing a door, Oliver opened it and walked through it. As the others followed him, they all looked around in amazement.

“Believe me, there won’t be blueprints for this,” Oliver said softly as they looked around at the hidden city they were now in. 

“My god,” Laurel breathed.

“Just like Mount Weather. Darhk built this to withstand the nuclear attack,” Diggle said filled with dread.

Arrow lair  
Same time

“Guys? Guys? Damn it!” Felicity shouted as she realized she’d lost their signal. 

Beneath Star City

“They all look so happy,” Thea said uncomfortable as the five of them walked behind the hedges, doing their best to remain hidden.

“Brainwashing will do that to you,” Laurel said grimly.

“Let’s just assume we weren’t invited over for casserole. What’s the plan Oliver?” Diggle asked as they all looked at him.

“We split up and scope out the houses, search for Anatoly. He’ll probably know where Darhk is,” Oliver ordered.

“Are you sure your friend is still alive?” Nyssa asked gently.

“Darhk is using him as bait to get me here. If he was dead, Darhk would have let me know me know by now. If you find Darhk, do not engage under any circumstances, radio for help. If you fight him alone, you will lose,” Oliver ordered, his eyes lingering on Laurel for just a moment before he turned and they all moved out.

It didn’t long for Oliver to find Anatoly. Anatoly was in one of the houses, his hands tie to a chair as two Ghosts stood guard over him.

“I’ve got eyes on Anatoly. Forth house down, there are two Ghosts with him,” Oliver said over the comms before moving in.

Oliver kicked open the glass door and, as the Ghosts moved to fire, Oliver shot off two arrows, getting them in the shoulders. As they went down, Oliver went to Anatoly, pulling out a flechette. 

“Come on, let’s get you out of here,” Oliver said as he used it to cut Anatoly free.

However, Anatoly then, to Oliver’s shock, sent a powerful kick to Oliver’s chest. Oliver was sent flying back on his back as Anatoly jumped to his feet. Oliver sat up as Anatoly pulled a gun on him and pulled out a radio. 

“The intruder is here,” Anatoly said before putting the radio away. “Move and I will shoot.”

“Anatoly?” Oliver asked in stunned shock.

“You’ll have to forgive him, he’s not exactly in his right mind right now,” Darhk said as he walked in, escorted by two Ghosts. 

“You,” Oliver growled as he got to his feet, glaring at him hatefully. “I’m going to enjoy killing you.”

“If you can. You do a lot of posturing, but you can’t do what’s necessary and I can. That’s why I’m going to beat you Oliver,” Darhk told him confidently.

Further conversation was interrupted as, from above, shots were fired and a Ghost on the balcony fell down as Laurel wacked him in the head with her side batons. The Ghosts by Darhk went down as red and black arrows hit them. Anatoly opened fire on Spartan and Black Canary as Speedy fired, trying to knock the gun out of his hand. Anatoly ducked and opened fire on her and Nyssa and they had to take cover. Oliver fired at Darhk but Darhk ducked before using his magic to throw Oliver back. When Oliver looked up again, Darhk and Anatoly had both fled.

“What the hell is going on, I thought we came here to save Anatoly?” Diggle demanded as they all met on the ground floor.

“It’s those yellow pills, Darhk drugged him,” Oliver explained as the five of them exited the hose.

“I suggest we leave before more of these Ghosts find us,” Nyssa said as they heard shouts, most likely more Ghosts.

“She’s right, let’s move!” Diggle said and they all took off running.

Soon, they found themselves being pursued by various Ghosts, who were firing at them. Thea turned around, firing an arrow and getting a Ghost in the shoulder. As the others continued to pursue them, Oliver and Nyssa fired, getting them and Laurel used her sonic scream to stale them. Soon enough, they lost them and Oliver led them down a staircase leading to a back door. Hearing the Ghosts approach, Oliver quickly picked the lock and pushed the door open, leading the others inside. 

“Looks like this place is empty,” Thea said after looking around a bit. 

“So we bought ourselves a few minutes,” Diggle said relieved.

“This place is enormous, how do we find Anatoly or Darhk?” Laurel asked.

“And your friend is under the influence of Darhk, how do you intend to break it?” Nyssa asked Oliver.

“I’ll figure it out,” Oliver said as they heard a noise behind them.

The fire of them whirled around, aiming their weapons at the ‘enemy’. Only the ‘enemy’ was a family, a man, a woman, and a teenage girl who was obviously their daughter, looking terrified at them.

“We’re not gonna hurt you,” Thea said as they lowered their weapons.

“Then what do you want?” the man asked fearfully.

“Damien Darhk is holding a man here captive. We’re here to save him,” Oliver said after turning on his voice modulation.

“Citizens of Tevat Noah, I have disturbing news,” everyone turned to a television screen on the wall, where Ruve Darhk was sending message. “We are under attack from a man in a green hood, a woman in a red hood, two women dressed in black, and a man in a black helmet. Do not let them disrupt Genesis. These people are not only an affront to our home, but to our future and the futures of our children. Find them and alert the nearest security personal to their location. We cannot let them stand in the way of Genesis.”

“Ruve’s mobilized the Ghosts into an army, looking for us,” Thea said as she looked over the window, seeing Ghosts roaming the street.

“They’re in here!” the man suddenly cried out.

Oliver wacked him across the face with his bow, grabbed him and slammed him onto the ground.

“Green Arrow!” Diggle cried out, mindful of the two women standing terrified.

“That’s it Oliver,” Malcolm said as he appeared over Oliver’s shoulder. “Let the monster out. Just like Talia taught you.”

Oliver took a deep breath, several in fact, trying to calm down. He couldn’t lose control; he couldn’t give into that darkness, not yet. Not until he faced Darhk.

“Tie them up,” Oliver ordered.

Arrow lair  
Same time

Felicity was sitting at the computer, trying to boost the signal and didn’t hear the elevator doors open.

“Hello?”

Felicity nearly jumped, getting out of her seat as Sara walked in.

“Sara,” Felicity said and Sara saw her. “When did you get back?

“I just got back. Where is everyone? I tried calling, no one answered. I went to Laurel’s but no one was there,” Sara said as she walked up to Felicity.

“The others can’t hear you, they’re underground, I can’t get a signal,” Felicity explained and Sara looked confused. “Damien Darhk has been causing problems.”

“Well, nice to know nothing’s changed in five months,” Sara muttered and then saw the look on Felicity’s face. “Felicity? What’s wrong?”

“Um, this isn’t going to be easy for you to hear,” Felicity began and a pit of dread began to form in Sara’s stomach. “About a week ago, Darhk had kidnapped Laurel and your dad. He had a gun aimed at Laurel and fired…but your dad jumped in front of her, took the bullet for her. The others got there soon after and got him to the hospital. But, your dad, Sara…”

Felicity couldn’t find the words, but she didn’t need to. Sara realized what she was trying to say.

“No, no. He can’t…he can’t…” Sara said in denial, tears forming in her eyes.

“I’m so sorry Sara,” Felicity, wrapping her in a hug as Sara broke down.

Tevat Noah  
Same time

Not long after they had tied the family up, they heard someone banging on the door.

“Take cover in the bed room, now!” Diggle shouted at the family and they ran as Diggle turned to Oliver. “Go find Anatoly, we’ll handle them.”

After a moment of recitation, Oliver turned and ran out the back door. However, a bullet hit the house, mere inches from his head. Oliver looked up to see Anatoly aiming a gun at him.

“Anatoly, you don’t want to do this,” Oliver tried to reason with his friend.

Anatoly ignored him, opening fire. Oliver dodged the bullet and then rushed him. The two began exchanging blows, Oliver holding back because he didn’t want to hurt his friend. However, this proved to be a mistake, as this allowed Anatoly to knock the bow out of his hands.

“Anatoly, you don’t want to do this,” Oliver tried to reach his friend.

“Can’t stop,” Anatoly said his fingers shaking as he tried to prevent himself from pulling the trigger.

“Yes, you can. You said once that I was your brother. I am begging, brother to brother, to fight this. You’re strong Anatoly. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for you. We beat Slade. We beat Gregor. We beat Kovar. And we will beat Darhk, together. I need you to fight Anatoly!” Oliver said passionately. 

Inside, the others were struggling against the seemingly endless Ghosts when Oliver and Anatoly jumped back in, Oliver firing arrows while Anatoly shot his guns. Within seconds, all The Ghosts were down for the count.

“Thank you for coming for me. I am sorry for all the trouble I have caused,” Anatoly said remorsefully.

“It wasn’t you,” Oliver told him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Do you know where Darhk is now?” Laurel asked and he nodded.

“I can take you to him now,” Anatoly promised.

“John, Thea, I need you to convince as many as you can to leave,” Oliver said and they looked over at him. “In case this goes south, I want you two to protect Lyla, make sure Darhk can’t get his hands on Rubicon.”

“What about the rest of you?” Thea asked.

“We’re going after Darhk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, we’re nearing the end of the story. We will have too more chapters left. Originally, the battle with Darhk was going to take place here but I felt that it should be its own chapter.


	29. A Darhk end

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle against Darhk ends in a tragic way that changes everything.

Tevat Noah  
Early afternoon

“I see, thank you for letting me know,” Darhk said as he hung up his phone, turning to Ruve. “It appears that a few members of Oliver’s little band of Merry Men are leading what appear to be evacuations.”

“Why would they need to be evacuated?” Ruve asked haughtily.

Darhk suddenly held up his hand and an arrow stopped inches from them.

“Maybe because you two are a couple of psychopaths?” Laurel sneered as she, Oliver, Nyssa, and Anatoly walked in, aiming their weapons at them.

“Oliver, so glad you could make it. And you brought some friends as well. And I see Anatoly has come back over to your side. A pity, I actually liked you,” Darhk mused before turning to Ruve. “Leave. And get Nora out of here.”

Ruve nodded before turning and walking out another entrance, no doubt to get Nora as Darhk turned back to them.

“So tell me Ms. Lance, how is daddy these days? Oh that’s right,” Darhk chuckled cruelly as Laurel glared at him, her entire body shaking with rage.

“Calm down Laurel, he’s baiting you,” Oliver told her, not taking his eyes off Darhk. “This ends now Damien.”

“Well, before you do anything drastic, you should know something about this room,” Darhk said and they paused, looking confused. “It’s powered by a dwarf star alloy. Very impressive, but a little touchy. If a bullet-or in this, arrows-hits just the right spot, you’ll blow this whole city sky high.”

“So basically, we can’t fire our weapons at you without blowing this place up. You really are a bastard Darhk,” Laurel sneered.

“I see why my father regretted letting you live. You are a monster,” Nyssa glared at him.

“So says the daughter of the man who nearly wiped out Star City over a prophecy,” Darhk countered and Nyssa nearly glared at him.

“You guys stay back. He’s mine,” Oliver said, putting his arrow back in his quiver and beginning to walk forward.

“Haven’t realized that you are useless against my magic yet? Guess you’ll have to learn the hard way,” Darhk before attempting to use his magic to stop Oliver in his tracks.

However, to everyone’s shock, Oliver was unaffected, moving forward.

“This-this isn’t possible!” Darhk shouted attempting to use his magic frantically to stop Oliver but Oliver kept moving.

“Just like with Quentin, huh?” Oliver asked and Darhk froze. “When Laurel told me about that, I called a friend who is sort of an expert at this stuff. Turns out, your magic has one very big weakness: If the person you’re trying to use it on has a greater will than you do, your magic won’t affect them. Quentin’s will to protect Laurel was greater than your will to kill her and my will to kill you is greater than yours to stop us.”

“Even if my magic doesn’t work, I’m still someone who was named Ra’s al Ghul!” Darhk cried out as he and Oliver rushed each other.

As Laurel moved to help, Anatoly put an arm out, stopping her.

“We cannot interfere. Oliver’s will may be stronger than Darhk’s power, ours might not be. We would be in his way. This is Oliver’s fight now,” Anatoly told her. 

Oliver dodged a punch from Darhk before grabbing his arm, throwing Darhk onto the floor. Oliver pulled out an arrow and went to stab Darhk in the heart but Darhk rolled out of the way before sending a powerful kick to Oliver’s chest. Oliver was sent flying into a pillar, which stopped him from going any further. 

“Can’t you see, I’m trying to make a better world Oliver!” Darhk snarled as he tried to punch Oliver.

“By destroying the old one. I’m not going to let you do that!” Oliver shouted back, grabbing Darhk and throwing him across the room. 

As Darhk landed on his back, a ghost walked in through another entrance. As he took aim at Oliver, Nyssa fired at him. Her arrow hit his weapon, but it went off and a bullet hit some of the machinery powered by the alloy. Everyone stopped as the room began to spark.

“No!” Darhk cried out in horror.

Down on the streets, everyone began to panic as the city began to shake and small flares started coming out of the road.

“If you don’t to die, follow us!” Diggle shouted as he and Thea began leading the civilians out of the city.

Arrow lair  
Same time

“What’s happening?” Sara asked as Felicity stepped away from her and towards the computers after they heard a beep.

“I don’t know. Something’s going down in The Glades where the team was. It’s like something underground is trying to find its way up,” Felicity said confused and worried.

Tevat Noah  
Same time

Darhk used his magic to send Oliver flying and then fled.

“Oliver, we need to leave!” Anatoly shouted.

“You three go, I’m heading after Darhk,” Oliver said as he pulled himself to his feet.

“That’s a suicide mission Ollie!” Laurel shouted in protest.

“Maybe, but Damien Darhk is not leaving here alive!” Oliver shouted before running after Darhk.

“Laurel, we must go!” Nyssa cried out. 

Laurel glanced in the direction Oliver had run for only a second longer before she turned and fled with Nyssa and Anatoly. 

On the streets, Darhk was running an arrow hit the ground where he was running and exploded. Darhk was thrown back and hit the ground. He got to his feet as Oliver rushed forward.

“If we don’t get out of here, we’ll both die!” Darhk told him.

“At least you’ll be dead!” Oliver snarled, punching him.

Arrow lair

“Something under the ground is exploding,” Felicity said as she stared at the screen in shock.

“Didn’t you say the team was underground?” Sara asked as she paled.

“Yeah,” Felicity whispered, as worried as Sara.

Tevat Noah

As the city exploded around them, Oliver and Darhk continued to exchange blows.

“What are you trying to do, keep us both down here until this place explodes?!” Darhk demanded as he tried to kick Oliver.

“If that’s what it takes to finally kill you!” Oliver snarled, dodging the kick and grabbing Darhk by the leg, throwing him across the road. 

Darhk, snarling, jumped up and tried to use his magic. To his pleasant surprise, it seemed to work, as Oliver seemed to freeze in place.

“Well, looks like my will to live is stronger than yours to kill me,” Darhk said as he stalked towards Oliver. “I may not be able to escape the explosion, but I will survive. You may have set Genesis back, but you haven’t stopped it. I will get Rubicon and I will rebuild the world. But first, I’m gonna make sure everyone you love joins you underground. Starting with your son.”

“No, you won’t!” Oliver snarled.

Oliver managed to pull a flechette out from his bow and pushed forward. He got Darhk in the chest and Darhk gasped, his magic failing him as Oliver drove the arrow head deeper into Darhk’s heart.

Star City

“Ollie, do you read me? Ollie?” Laurel tried to get Oliver but got nothing, concerned as the city continued to explode underneath The Glades as she, Nyssa, and Anatoly watched.

“Laurel…” Nyssa trailed off, not wanting to say it.

Tevat Noah

Oliver twisted the arrow and Darhk gasped, taking his last breath. Oliver let go and Darhk fell down, dead. Oliver sunk to his knees, breathing heavily as the street continued to explode around him.

“I guess this is what I get…for ever thinking I could have it both ways,” Oliver said as he closed his eyes. “I’m sorry William…I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise to you.”

Star City

“Ollie!” Laurel cried out, instinctively trying to rush forward as the city exploded underneath The Glades but Nyssa held her back, preventing her from rushing to her death.

“Oliver never had any intention of making it out alive,” Anatoly’s sad voice stopped Laurel. “Not as long as Damien Darhk was still alive. He’s gone…my brother is gone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is will power beating Darhk’s magic stupid? Maybe, but let’s get real, nothing is worse than hope and light being the solution. Might have worked on Flash, but it was never going to work on Arrow. 
> 
> So, did I just kill of Oliver Queen? Well, you’ll have to come back for the final chapter to find out the answer to that.


	30. Mourning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As everyone deals with the tragic end of Oliver and Darhk's final battle, Sara makes a desperate plea to Rip only to learn devastating information.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know I promised that this would be the last chapter, but I was wrong. There will be one more chapter following this one, as it started to feel rushed with how much I was putting in this chapter. Next chapter will be up soon, promise.

Arrow lair  
Afternoon

Felicity and Sara looked up as the elevator doors opened. Laurel, Nyssa, and Anatoly walked in, their heads bowed. Laurel looked up, momentarily surprised at seeing her sister and Sara was crushed by the broken look Laurel’s eyes. She knew what this meant. Sara walked over to Laurel and pulled her into a hug. Laurel buried her face in Sara’s shoulder, sobbing as she grieved for Oliver as Felicity stared at the elevator, hoping someone else would come out. When no one did, her face fell as Nyssa walked over to her.

“I am sorry,” Nyssa said genuinely, a sad look in her eyes.

“Oliver, he’s…” Felicity couldn’t it but Nyssa simply nodded sadly. “And…John and Thea?”

“They went to inform Ms. Michaels…and William,” Nyssa said softly. 

Argus safe house  
Same time

William was on the couch, watching a news report about the destruction in The Glades as Lyla attempted to get someone on the phone to find out what happened. Suddenly, the door opened and the two looked over to see Diggle and Thea walk in. Lyla’s relief was short lived as she saw the look on Diggle’s face. The last time she’d seen that look on her husband’s face was when Oliver had been presumed dead after going to fight Ra’s. 

“What happened? Where’s my dad?” William asked as he saw them.

“Um, Lyla, let’s give them some privacy,” Diggle said, trying-and failing-to keep his voice even.

“Yeah, sure,” Lyla said as she took her husband by the arm and all but dragged him into another room. 

“Where’s my dad?” William repeated and Thea took a deep breath.

“Come on, sit down buddy,” Thea said, sitting down on the couch and a pit of dread began to form in William’s stomach as he numbly sat next to her, beginning to realize something terrible had happened. “Damien Darhk, the guy your dad and I have been trying to stop, he was planning on using a piece of tech to wipe out the world in a nuclear attack. He built a domed city under The Glades so that he and a bunch of his followers would survive. We found out and went to stop him. During the attack, something in the city was damaged and it started to explode. Your dad, he um…he didn’t make it out in time.”

“My dad’s dead?” William said his lip quivering as he realized what had happened.

Thea simply nodded, unable to say the words. She brought William to her and they began crying together, grieving for the man they had both loved.

Waveridder  
Later in the afternoon

After having been contacted by The Legends, Rip had reluctantly allowed them to continue the mission. He was grumbling/complaining about their instance when, out of nowhere, Sara slugged him.

“Oh, speaking of bitter!” Mick said gleefully as Sara put out a knife and held it to Rip’s throat.

“You knew,” she sneered as she glared at him with tear filled eyes. “You dropped us off five months later because you knew!”

“Knew what?” Jax asked confused as the others looked around, feeling like there were missing something.

“You knew that my father and Oliver were going to die. And now you are going to take me back so I can kill Damien Darhk before any of this happens,” Sara sneered.

“Wait, Oliver’s dead?” Ray asked shocked but was ignored.

“I’m afraid-” Rip began.

“You should be afraid,” Sara hissed.

“That I can’t allow you to do that,” Rip continued.

“I don’t care about the timeline!” Sara snarled.

“Ms. Lance, I’m sure Captain Hunter had a good reason for-” Stein started.

“Stay out of this!” Sara snarled as she looked back at him, her eyes that of a wild animal and Stein stepped back, truly afraid as she looked back at Rip. “Now, you’re gonna take me back so that I can-”

Suddenly, there was a flash of light and Sara fell into Mick’s arms, Mick holding a device similar to the one that Rip had used when recruiting them.

“Mr. Rory, take Ms. Lance to sleep it off,” Rip said gruffly, turning as Mick walked off with Sara thrown over his shoulder.

“Rip,” Ray called out and Rip paused. “What Sara said about Oliver, is it true? Is he really…”

“I’m sorry Ray,” Rip said sounding truly remorseful before walking off.

Ray closed his eyes, a pang of grief hitting him as Stein patted him on the shoulder in an awkward attempt to comfort him. 

Argus safe house  
Same time

Diggle sat in what was apparently the kitchen of the safe house, numb to the world around him. Lyla stood behind him, not sure what to say, not sure she could say anything in this situation. 

“How are they?” Diggle asked gruffly, the first words he’s spoken since sitting down.

“How are you?” Lyla asked gently and Diggle didn’t answerer for a moment.

“I failed him Lyla. After he came back from fighting Ra’s the first time, I told myself I’d never let him go into battle alone again. I failed,” Diggle said his voice thick with emotion as she sat down next to Diggle, taking his hand.

“There was nothing you could have done Johnny. You couldn’t have stopped Oliver from going after Darhk if you’d tried to drag him out of there. Nothing and no one was going to stop him from stopping Darhk,” Lyla told him and Diggle sighed.

“I know that here,” Diggle gestured to his head before moving to his heart. “But here? Here might take a little longer.”

Waveridder  
Later in the afternoon

“Please try very hard not to kill me,” Rip said as he walked into the room where Sara as sitting, wide awake.

“Please Rip, take me back. I need to save them,” Sara begged.

“You know I would do this for you Sara, but I can’t,” Rip said apologetically. 

“That is bullshit!” Sara snarled, jumping up and storming over to him. “We spent the last five months trying to save your family! Five months! You owe me!”

“I do and I wish I could help you. But I cannot change something that was set in motion by forces far more powerful than us,” Rip said and Sara was confused.

“What are you talking about?” Sara asked and Rip sighed.

“When your sister used the Lazarus pit to bring you back to life, she was playing with forces she did not understand. There must be a balance Sara, a price that must be paid. For every life gained, there must be another lost,” Rip explained and Sara paled.

“Are you saying that…”Sara trailed off as Rip nodded.

“Your father was the price to be paid. Even if you save him, you will still lose someone you care about. There must be a balance Sara,” Rip said gently.

“What about Ollie?” Sara asked, desperate to save at least one of them.

“Someday soon, you will understand Sara. Sometimes, things must happen for a reason. There are certain points in time that are fixed. If you change those moments, the results could be catastrophic. What happened to Mr. Queen is one of them. I am truly sorry Sara, but I cannot help you,” Rip said sounding remorseful.

Rip then turned and left Sara alone as she sunk to her knees, crying over her recent losses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, Rip’s reasoning in the show for not saving Laurel just sucks. I mean, they spent five months trying to save his family but they can’t spend five minutes trying to save Laurel after everything Sara did to help him? And there were various ways that they could’ve saved Laurel that would not have had a lot of impact on the timeline. Just off the top of my head, taking the idol from the lair before Malcolm came to get it or switching out the piece Andy took with a fake. But Rip is repeatedly a hypocrite and a manipulator, so whatever.


	31. Carrying on

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AS the news breaks of Oliver's death, a message from Oliver makes it to everyone and causes them each to evaluate what happens next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here is the final chapter. First, I would just like to thank everyone who has supported me in this story. I hope you all enjoy the end of the story.

Central City, West house  
Night

As everyone else sat around the room, celebrating their victory against Zoom, Barry stood in the corner, numbly observing. He realized his phone was vibrating and pulled it out and saw Felicity’s picture flash across the screen. He debated not answering, simply because he didn’t have the energy, but decide to answer anyway. It could be important after all. 

“Hey Felicity, what’s up?” Barry said trying not to sound too depressed.

“Barry…something’s happened. It’s Oliver,” Felicity said and Barry’s blood ran cold.

Arrow lair, next day  
Morning

The next day, Diggle, Felicity, Laurel, Sara, Thea, Ray, and Barry all sat around the table, a solemn silence between them as they were all lost in their grief. Lyla stood on the outside, watching them before stepping forward.

“I know that you’re all dealing with what happened…but the mission isn’t over,” Lyla said as she pulled out a flash drive.

“What’s that?” Barry asked gruffly.

“This is the second reason Oliver sent Anatoly undercover. This is all the Intel Anatoly was able to gather on Hive while undercover. It has the names of every active member of Hive, all the crimes they’ve committed, every Hive base in the city, you name it and its on here,” Lyla told the stunned heroes.

“All that on that flash drive?” Ray asked surprised and Lyla nodded.

“She’s right, the mission isn’t over,” Diggle said and they looked over at him as he got to his feet. “As long as Hive is still active, the mission is unfinished. This mission, Oliver gave his life for it. The least we can do is finish it. You guys with me or not?”

Star City  
Late morning

A Ghost was walking down the hall when he bumped into someone. He looked up and, to his shock, saw Speedy standing there.

“You must be a special kind of stupid to come here alone,” he said arrogantly and she flashed a menacing smile that made her look frighteningly like her birth father.

“I didn’t come alone.”

The Ghost barely had time to process her words before a loud, sonic screech pierced the air. The lights sparked and glass shattered as Sara and Laurel rushed in. Speedy fired an arrow, getting The Ghost in the shoulder and he went down as Argus operatives burst down a door, surprising members of Hive as they opened fire.

At another base, Hive was running around in terror as Ray shot blue beams at The Ghosts and a red blur sped around, stopping more Ghosts and Barry grabbed a member of Hive, slamming him down onto the floor.

“You’re not going anywhere,” Barry said in a growl that would have made Oliver proud. 

Elsewhere in Star City, Ruve was holding a press conference when she noticed Diggle and Lyla making their way to the front of the crowd. She paused, which was noticeable and the crowd looked over at Lyla and Diggle confused as they made their way over to Ruve.

“You can’t do this. You have nothing,” Ruve sneered.

“That’s where you’re wrong. Anatoly gave us everything, Hive is being rounded up as we speak,” Lyla said and Ruve paled. “Two good men died because of you and your husband. He may have gotten off easy with death, but you will face justice for what you have done.”

“Put your hands behind your back,” Diggle growled and Ruve, realizing they had beaten her, turned around and did as instructed as Diggle walked over raising his voice so everyone could hear what he was saying. “Ruve Darhk, you are under arrest for conspiracy, terrorism, conspiracy to commit mass murder, and multiple counts of adding and abetting.”

Whispers broke out among the crowd as Diggle and Lyla escorted Ruve out, some reporters shouting questions at them. But they were ignored as the trio left.

Arrow lair  
Afternoon

“So, Ruve’s in custody, we won…now what?” Ray asked and none of them had an answer.

“How’s William?” Laurel asked as she looked over at Thea.

“Sad, confused. Trying to deal with the fact that a woman he’s known for less than a year is suddenly his only family,” Thea said with a sad smile. “Look, um, I hate to do this, but…I jumped right out of the Lazarus into this, into being Speedy. And I’m wondering if this is who I really am. And with William, I’ve been thinking about what Ollie would say to me. And I think he’d say ‘Do what you think you have to do’. And I think what I need to do is get out while I can.”

“Maybe that’s the right thing for all of us,” Felicity muttered.

“You guys serious, you really think quitting is the answer?” Barry asked surprised.

“We want to carry on, we do Barry…but I just don’t know if we can do this without Oliver. Or if there’s even a point to it without him,” Diggle said as he put a hand to his face. 

“I think I might have something that can help with that,” Everyone one looked over as Lyla walked in.

“Hey, Ruve locked up at Argus?” Laurel asked and Lyla nodded.

“Yeah. From the sounds of things, I got here just in time,” Lyla said as she pulled out a flash drive.

“What’s that?” Sara asked.

“Oliver gave this to me before I took William and baby Sara to the safe house. He told me it was a video message and, in the event of his death, he wanted you all here to see it,” Lyla said as she handed the drive to Diggle, who took it.

“If that’s Oliver’s wish…I say we watch it,” Diggle said, handing it to Felicity.

They all walked over to the computers, Felicity sitting down and putting the flash drive in. After a few moments of felicity setting it up, it started. Oliver’s face appeared on the screen and they all stiffened, staring at the scree with a range of different emotions.

“Hey guys. If you’re seeing this, then I’m…gone. As I make this, I’m telling myself it’s just in case. But…maybe what I have to say is just easier to say to a screen than to all of you,” Oliver laughed humorlessly as they stared, transfixed. “First, I want to say just how proud I am of all of you, of how far you have all come. And I also wanted to say thank you. I know that I can be difficult, and I probably haven’t said or if I have, I haven’t said it enough. But your friendship, your love, your advice is probably the only reason I’ve survived as long as I have. Which is why I’m not afraid for the city. I know, long after I’m gone, you will come together, time and time again, when this city needs saving, whether it be from behind a mask or in the light of day. 

“I know that you’re all wondering what the point of Team Arrow is without me, it’s something I’ve considered to. This city, this world, needs heroes, but a hero doesn’t have to be someone wearing a mask. A hero can be a lawyer or a cop or just someone who took a young boy in to let him know the world hadn’t ended. I started my crusade because the city needed help beyond that of a lawyer or a police offer. Maybe the time has come where that is no longer true.

“For four years, we’ve been trying to save the soul of Star City. Maybe the way to do it is not as Team Arrow, but as people. As Laurel Lance, Thea Queen, John Diggle, and Felicity Smoak. There is a lot of work left to be done. I need you to carry on, whether it be as a vigilante or someone else, something else. I love you all and I trust you will all do what you think is right, which is all any of us can do. Until I see you all again…this is goodbye. Take care of each other.”

The screen turned back and they all looked at each other, each trying to deal with their emotions in their own way.

“So…what happens now?” Ray asked, trying to keep his voice even.

“Now, we all find a way to carry on. Either as heroes or as…something else,” Barry said turning back and starting to walk out.

“Barry, where are you going?” Felicity as they stared after him.

“I almost made a mistake last night. I‘m glad Oliver left us this message; it stopped me from doing that. And he’s right, our work isn’t finish. We have to carry on, I’m heading home to do that,” Barry said as he looked over his shoulder. “But if you ever need us, if you need me…I’ll be there.”

Barry then turned and sped out.

“So… what’s our next move?” Sara asked.

“We have to decide how we’re going to carry on,” Diggle sighed.

“I know I can’t carry on as Speedy. William, he’s already lost both his parents. He can’t lose me to. I’m sorry, but I can’t do it anymore,” Thea said apologetically as she turned and walked off.

Star City Cemetery  
Later in the afternoon

Sara stood in front of her father’s grave, holding some flowers in her hand as Laurel walked up to her.

“I should stay, help you guys carry on,” Sara said softly.

“We can handle that Sara. This offer that this Rip Hunter gave you, it sounds important,” Laurel noted.

“So is what’s happening here. Are you going to carry on?” Sara asked as she looked over at Laurel.

“I don’t know. Being the Black Canary, it used to be what made me feel alive inside. But since dad…since Ollie, I don’t feel anything anymore when I think about it, I just feel numb,” Laurel confessed and Sara nodded. “It turns out that the District Attorney’s name was on that drive Anatoly gave Lyla. He was arrested and the city Council called me, they offered me the job.”

“Are you gonna take it?” Sara asked.

“I don’t know, I’m thinking about it. I’m also thinking about what Ollie said in that video, about how a hero can be anyone, that maybe it’s time for the battle for this city to be fought in the light of day. Maybe as DA…I’ll finally be able to do that,” Laurel said and Sara was silent as she knelt down, putting the flower at her father’s headstone.

“You know, when Rip first made the offer five months ago, I wasn’t gonna take it,” Sara admitted. “But you, Ollie, and dad convinced me to with your support. Now…I have to do this for them.”

“I think Ollie and dad would be proud of you,” Laurel said as she knelt down, putting a hand on Sara’s shoulder.

“How do you know?” Sara asked emotionally.

“Because I am,” Laurel said and they two sisters shared an emotional hug.

Diggle apartment  
Same time

“You sure about this Johnny?” Lyla asked, holding baby Sara in her arms as Diggle stood in his old army uniform.

“I have to find a way to carry on John Diggle, not as Spartan. Seeing everything its cost Oliver, Thea, Laurel…I can’t be part of Team Arrow anymore,” Diggle said softly and Lyla nodded.

“As long as you’re sure, I’ll support you,” Lyla told him, kissing him on the cheek.

Felicity’s apartment  
Same time

Felicity took one last look around her apartment before closing the door and locking it, walking out with a bag thrown over her shoulder.

Star City  
Night

“I did not expect you two to be willing to join me for a second go,” Rip confessed stopping in front of Ray and Sara as The Legends stood prepared to leave with Rip.

“We have to carry on,” Ray said simply.

Laurel and Thea’s apartment  
Same time

Laurel got up as the door opened and Thea walked in, William holding he hand.

“Hey William,” Laurel said and he simply stared at her, reminding her painfully of Oliver in that moment after he had gone through something incredibly traumatic.

“Come on, let’s go to your new rom,” Thea said before gently leading William away.

Star Labs  
Same time

“You okay?” Cisco asked Barry as he came upon Barry in the cortex, staring at his suit.

“Fine. Come on, we have work to do,” Barry said and Cisco nodded.

Russia, five months later  
Morning

A man lay in bed, groaning as he came to. Immediately, some men rushed to him, checking him over.

“Get the Pakhan,” one of them said as, for the first time in five months, Oliver Queen opened his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my mind, Barry would have reacted to Oliver’s death and message one of two ways. Option one, it would only have added to the pain he was feeling and he still would have reacted Flashpoint. Or option two, it would have caused Barry to take a step back and put things in perspective for him, causing him not to create Flashpoint. I personally think option two is more likely, so that’s what I’m going with in this story. 
> 
> Yes, Oliver is fact alive. For those of you who were feeling a Defenders vibe to the last few chapters, that was 9intentional. The details to how Oliver in fact survived and made it to Russia will be revealed in the sequel I am planning to this. Not sure when it will happen, so keep your eyes peeled for it.


End file.
